Editing National Geographic Society (section)

== History ==
[[File:Natgeo old.png|thumb|Historical emblem of the National Geographic Society|left]]
The National Geographic Society began as a club for an elite group of academics and wealthy patrons interested in travel and exploration.<ref>{{cite web |author=Site designed by Shannon Roberts |url=https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/pressreleases/fahey07.asp |title=National Geographic CEO Says Nonprofit's Mission is Bringing the World to Readers |publisher=Mccombs.utexas.edu |date=April 24, 2007 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528153618/http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/pressreleases/fahey07.asp |archive-date=May 28, 2010  }}</ref> On January 13, 1888, 33 explorers and scientists gathered at the [[Cosmos Club]], a private club then located on [[President's Park#Lafayette Square|Lafayette Square]] in Washington, D.C., to organize "a society for the increase and diffusion of [[geography|geographical]] knowledge." After preparing a constitution and a plan of organization, the National Geographic Society was incorporated two weeks later on January 27. [[Gardiner Greene Hubbard]] (co-founder of [[AT&T Corporation|AT&T]]) became its first president and his son-in-law, [[Alexander Graham Bell]] (also co-founder of AT&T), succeeded him in 1897.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/01/0127national-geographic-society-founded/|title=Jan. 27, 1888: National Geographic Society Gets Going|magazine=WIRED|access-date=September 8, 2017}}</ref>

In 1899, Bell's son-in-law [[Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor]] was named the first full-time editor of National Geographic magazine and served the organization for fifty-five years (until 1954), and members of the Grosvenor family have played important roles in the organization since. Bell and Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor devised the successful marketing notion of Society membership and the first major use of photographs to tell stories in magazines.
[[File:A notable gathering on the steps of Hubbard Hall, 1909.jpg|thumb|left|A notable gathering on the steps of Hubbard Hall, 1909]]
The chairman of the National Geographic Society currently is Jean Case. Michael Ulica is president. Jill Tiefenthaler is the chief executive officer. The editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine is Susan Goldberg. [[Gilbert Melville Grosvenor]], a former chairman, received the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 2005 for his leadership in geography education.

In 2004, the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., was one of the first buildings to receive a "Green" certification<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/04/greenbuilding.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040502040722/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/kids/2004/04/greenbuilding.html|date=May 2, 2004}}</ref> from [[Global Green USA]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://globalgreen.org/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626195420/http://globalgreen.org/index.html|url-status=dead|title=Global Green|archive-date=June 26, 2008}}</ref> The National Geographic received the prestigious [[Prince of Asturias Award]] for Communication and Humanities in October 2006 in [[Oviedo, Spain]].

National Geographic Expeditions was launched in 1999 to fulfill one of its missions and for the proceeds to go towards its mission.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Geographic Expeditions: Travel Weekly |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Readers-Choice/2019/Tour-Operator/National-Geographic-Expeditions |website=www.travelweekly.com |publisher=Norhtstar Travel Group |access-date=June 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2006, the society purchased ''Hampton-Brown'', an English-as-a-second-language educational material publisher, using a good part of its endowments. However, the publisher did not generate much profit. By 2009, the society's endowments were about $200 million.<ref name="bbg">{{cite news |last1=Gillette |first1=Felix |title=Inside National Geographic's HBO-inspired Murdoch Makeover |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-05-17/inside-national-geographic-s-hbo-inspired-murdoch-makeover |access-date=June 16, 2020 |work=Bloomberg.com |date=May 17, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

National Geographic Ventures, its commercial arm, launched a music division, National Geographic Music and Radio, in 2007.<ref name="c21m0" /> The society formed in October 2007 National Geographic Entertainment division to include its entertainment units.<ref name="vty">{{cite news |last1=Bertet |first1=Elsa |title=National Geographic creates division |url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/national-geographic-creates-division-1117975159/ |access-date=June 16, 2020 |work=Variety |date=November 1, 2007 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2013, the society was investigated for possible violation of the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]] relating to their close association with an Egyptian government official responsible for antiquities.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-investigates-national-geographic-over-corrupt-payments-to-egypts-keeper-of-antiquities-8909454.html "US investigates National Geographic over 'corrupt payments' to Egypt's keeper of antiquities"], David Usborne. The Independent. October 28, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2017</ref>

On September 9, 2015, the Society announced that it would re-organize its media properties and publications into a new company known as [[National Geographic Partners]], which would be majority-owned by [[21st Century Fox]] (21CF) with a 73% stake. This new, for-profit corporation, would own ''National Geographic'' and other magazines, as well as its affiliated television networks—most of which were already owned in joint ventures with 21CF.<ref name=verge-ngp>{{cite web|title=National Geographic magazine, is now a for-profit business thanks to Fox|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/9/9/9296815/national-geographic-magazine-is-now-a-for-profit-business-fox|website=The Verge|date=September 9, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref> As a consequence, the Society and 21st Century Fox announced on November 2, 2015, that 9 percent of National Geographic's 2,000 employees, approximately 180 people, would be laid off, constituting the biggest staff reduction in the Society's history.<ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/national-geographic-society-sets-biggest-layoff-in-its-history/2015/11/03/2966e1b4-8252-11e5-a7ca-6ab6ec20f839_story.html|title=National Geographic Society sets biggest layoff in its history|first=Paul|last=Farhi|date=November 3, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/03/national-geographic-layoffs-21st-century-fox-merger|title=National Geographic lays off staff following 21st Century Fox merger|first=Mahita|last=Gajanan|work=the Guardian|date=November 3, 2015}}</ref> Later, [[The Walt Disney Company]] assumed 21CF's share in National Geographic Partners, following the completion of [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|Disney's acquisition of most of 21CF assets]] on March 20, 2019. On June 29, 2023, National Geographic laid off the remaining staff writers for their magazine and announced the end of their physical newsstand publications in the United States in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=2023-06-29 |title=National Geographic lays off its last remaining staff writers |language=en-US |work=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/06/28/national-geographic-staff-writers-laid-off/ |access-date=2023-06-30 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

=== List of original founders ===
The 33 original founders of the National Geographic Society in 1888:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/tag/national-geographic-founders/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002001936/http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/tag/national-geographic-founders/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |title=National Geographic founders |access-date=January 9, 2014 |publisher=National Geographic Society }}</ref>

{{div col}}
* [[Cleveland Abbe]]
* [[Frank Baker (physician)|Frank Baker]]
* [[Marcus Baker]]
* [[John Russell Bartlett (naval officer)|John Russell Bartlett]]
* [[Charles J. Bell (businessman)|Charles J. Bell]]
* [[Rogers Birnie]]
* [[William Dall]]
* [[Arthur Powell Davis]]
* [[Clarence Dutton]]
* [[Henry Gannett]]
* [[Samuel Gannett]]
* [[Grove Karl Gilbert]]
* [[George Brown Goode]]
* [[James Howard Gore]]
* [[Adolphus Washington Greely]]
* [[Edward Everett Hayden]]
* [[Henry Wetherbee Henshaw]]
* [[Gardiner Greene Hubbard]]
* [[Willard Drake Johnson]]
* [[George Kennan (explorer)|George Kennan]]
* [[George Wallace Melville]]
* [[Clinton Hart Merriam]]
* [[Henry Mitchell (oceanographer)|Henry Mitchell]]
* [[Robert Muldrow II]]
* [[Herbert Gouverneur Ogden]]
* [[John Wesley Powell]]
* [[William Bramwell Powell]]
* [[Israel Russell]]
* [[Winfield Scott Schley]]
* [[Almon Harris Thompson]]
* [[Gilbert Thompson]]
* [[Otto Hilgard Tittmann]]
* [[James Clarke Welling]]
{{div col end}}

Although [[Alexander Graham Bell]] is sometimes discussed as a founder, he was actually the second president, elected on January 7, 1898, and serving until 1903.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.nationalgeographic.org/ngs-celebrates-23rd-founders-day/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202163557/http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2011/05/26/ngs-celebrates-23rd-founders-day/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 2, 2016 |title=NGS Celebrates 23rd Founders Day |last=Howley |first=Andrew |date=May 26, 2011 |website=NGS |publisher=National Geographic Society |access-date=January 18, 2016 |quote=Though he wasn't one of the original 33 founders, Bell had a major influence on the Society.}}</ref>