Person:John Goode (25)

John Paul Goode, famous Author, Cartographer and Scientist, son of Abraham J. and Hulda Jane Van Valkenburgh, was born at Stewartville, Minnesota, November 21, 1862. With his parents came to Pleasant Grove township, Olmsted County, Minnesota in 1864, where they purchased a farm in Section 2, in 1868. John attended country school near his home at what was known as the Phelps District No. 4. Dedicating his life to education, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor or Science degree in 1889; State Normal School, Moorehead, Minnesota. He was a science teacher, 1889-98; State Normal school, Charleston, Illinois. Geography teacher, 1898-01; University of Pennsylvania Geography instruction, 1901-03. University of Chicago, Associate Professor, 1903-17, advanced to Professor 1917-29, when he became Professor Emeritus.

An international authority on Geography, his best known scientific discovery was the so-called 'Homolographic projection' (to show earth's surface and equal area projection. In case of oceans the word is Homolosine.) His flat maps of the Globe show relative size of different areas without distorting the shapes. His interest was not only in topographical aspect of geography but in climate and economic conditions as well. His maps depict population, vegetation, mineral deposits, and other factors making up what he termed 'human geography'. He was a firm believer in the 'Altas Habit', and felt the atlas and dictionary should be close companions.

The greatest work which Dr. Goode left to posterily was his final work completed after his retirement. Due to a heart ailment, limited in strength to two-hour periods of work, he completed in 1932, what he felt was the master piece of his forty years of study and teaching. This is the fourth and revised edition of his School Atlas. It gives American students the American viewpoint. Each map of this edition is shown according to American scale - every section of North American Continent is drawn to large scale. Included in these maps are all facts concerning political geography, physical features of earth surface and economic features.

Other than his long career as a teacher and inspirer of youth, Dr. John Paul Goode was allied with the Geographic Society of Chicago as President; Government service as official to Honorary Commercial Commissioner to Japan 1909; Government Lecturer in Philadelphia 1911; Lecturer for the Phillipping Government at Baguio Assembly 1911; Designer of series of lantern slide maps for schools; invented Homolographic Map projection 1916; Chairman of Chicago Draft Board 1917-1919; Homolosine projection 1923; Polar equal area project 1928.

Dr. Goode was associated with Rand McNally and Company map makers. He developed and published physical maps of the continents. He was a recipient of the Helen Culver Gold Medal Award in 1923. He married Ida Katherine Hancook of Crookston, Minnesota. She was the first woman member of the Illinois State Legislature. They had one son, Kenneth Hancook Goode. Dr. Goode died in his Chicago home August 5, 1932.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Bernard, Belva du Mez. Research History of Pleasant Grove Township, Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1852-1960. (Rochester, Minnesota: Whiting Press, 1960?)
   398-400.