William Morris Davis (1850 - 1934)

William Morris Davis was an American geographer, geologist, geomorphologist, and meteorologist, often called the "father of American geography". His most influential scientific contribution was the cycle of erosion, first defined around 1884, which was a model of how rivers create landforms. He was a founder of the Association of American Geographers in 1904, and heavily involved with the National Geographic Society in its early years, writing a number of articles for the magazine.