Jerry Dobson, geography, professor, and President of the American Geographical Society, talks about his recent article in ESRI's ArcNews. The article is a must-read for anyone asking, "What is geography?" and "Why do we need to bring it back?"

—In the spring 2007 issue of ArcNews, I wrote about the compelling need to bring geography back to government, business, and education at all levels. It was something I felt I had to say, and it seems to have struck a chord with many readers. Reader response has been enthusiastic, great in number, and almost exclusively positive.

It's hard to characterize the respondents. Some are geographers; many are not. They are at all stages of career from school to retirement. Many are GIS practitioners; a few are academic geographers. One was the mother of a college administrator (not a geographer), who said she planned to force her son to read the article.

What is clear, however, is that almost all of them have been frustrated by the same contradictions that caused me to write the article. Many recount to me what courses they took in college and what kinds of jobs they held. Many say they would have preferred to study geography if it had been available in their universities. Many say the article helps them defend their choice of geography as a life calling, and it's obvious the choice has been questioned over and over throughout their careers. One even said he now carries the article with him wherever he goes to show when others ask why he is a geographer. Most encouraging of all, many end with a plaintive request for direction as to how they can promote geography in the ways that I suggested.

—Jerry Dobson

Read the article to see why we need to Bring Back Geography!