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1. DVGA History

The origin of the DVGA can be traced to a meeting, sometime during the 1963 Christmas holidays, when Cyrus J. Sharer introduced himself to J. Russell Smith at the latter's home in Swarthmore. Having…"had the good luck to discover each other" as Smith put it, the two laid plans to extend their circle of mutual interests to other geographers living and working in the Philadelphia area. "Accordingly", in the words of Dr. Smith's invitation of March 1, "Dr. Sharer and Mrs. Sharer, along with Mrs. Lester Klimm and myself are hosts, conveners, chaperones, and elder statesmen at an informal dinner at International House, 140 N. 15th St., Philadelphia at 6:15 P.M., Friday, March 6, 1964." After dinner ($2.50 per head), Smith welcomed the gathering and then introduced the evening's speaker, Art Loeben, Director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Again in his own words, Art was…"to tell us about some of the devils that beset the application of geography in Montgomery [County]". Subsequent meetings were held at the University of Pennsylvania Faculty Club and other city clubs and restaurants. The group met three additional times that first year, but thereafter settled into a biannual schedule. By 1967 the group adopted a constitution and soon afterward it was accepted as an integral arm and regional affiliate of the Association of American Geographers. 

At first the PHILADELPHIA AREA GEOGRAPHERS, as the organization was originally named, was guided by an ad hoc committee composed of Richard Bucksar, Gerald Karaska, Richard Keppel, Henry Michael, Clinton Mullen and Cyrus Sharer. By 1969 the present name, DELAWARE VALLEY GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION was adopted. At the same time meetings were moved to the western suburbs; to points readily accessible to the majority of the growing membership. Geographers and students from East Stroudsburg University, Kutztown University, Millersville University, Philadelphia Community College, Rowan College of New Jersey, Rutgers (Camden campus), Temple University, Trenton State College, University of Delaware, Villanova University, West Chester University, York College of Pennsylvania, and many other schools, community colleges, firms, and government agencies in the region actively participate in the DVGA today. 

Of local interest, it should be noted that the formerly renowned Ph.D.-granting Department of Geography at the University of Pennsylvania was terminated in 1961. 

Field trips have long been an important facet of the Association. More recently, the DVGA has been recognizing outstanding undergraduate majors in geography at local institutions by awarding them certificates of achievement. 

The history of the development of the DVGA has been a positive one. From a small, but auspicious, beginning, the association over the past thirty years has been a source of inspiration to geographers in the Delaware Valley. 
 

2. DVGA Speakers and Presentation Titles
 

6 March 1964	J. Russell Smith: Opening Remarks. Arthur Loeben: The Application of Geography to Planning. (International House, Philadelphia)
8 May 1964	Joseph Schwarzberg: India.  (U. of PA, Faculty Club)
2 October 1964	Kazimierz Dziewonski: Population Growth and Urbanization in Post-War Poland.  (U. of PA., Faculty Club)
11 December 1964	Richard Keppel: Mapping Procedures in Underdeveloped Countries.  (U. of PA, Houston Hall)
29 April 1965	Richard Hartshorne: The Nature of Geography.  (U. of PA., Houston Hall)
10 December 1965	Henry Michael: Collecting Datable Wood from the Pyramids.  (U. of PA, Faculty Club)
15 April 1966	James Latham: Remote Sensing and Geographic Science.  (St. Anthony’s Club, Philadelphia)
16 December 1966	Peter Schauffler: Geography of the Port of Philadelphia.  (U. of PA, Faculty Club)
7 April 1967	C. H. J. Hull: Geography of the Tocks Island Development.  (St. Anthony’s Club)
8 December 1967	Arthur Getis: A New Technique of Analyzing Spatial Processes.  (Poor Richard Club, Philadelphia)
5 April 1968	Paul VanDerMeer: Land Fragmentation in a Taiwanese Village.  (Poor Richard Club)
15 November 1968	Richard Osborne: An Analysis of Current British Regional Problems and Economic Policy.  (Poor Richard Club)
28 March 1969	Melvin Marcus: Glacial Climatology and Glacial Geomorphology.  (Peacock Inn, King of Prussia)
7 November 1969	William Warntz: Geography, Geometry, and Graphics.  (Peacock Inn)
3 April 1970	Robert McNee:  A Systems Analysis of Industrial Corporations.  (Peacock Inn)
20 November 1970	Julian Wolpert: The Transition to Post-Behaviorism in Geographic Research.  (Peacock Inn)
26 March 1971	George Carey:  Urban Development (Holiday Inn, King of Prussia)
5 November 1971	William Koelsch: Terrae Incognitae and Arcana Siwash:  Geographic Thought and University History.  (Peacock Inn)
21 April 1972	Robert Sinclair: The Place of Regional Studies in Geographical Research.  (Holiday Inn)
17 November 1972	Pierce Lewis: Houses and the Diffusion of Ideas.  (Old Covered Wagon Inn, Strafford)
6 April 1973	Peter Gould: Sweden—Location in Information Space.  (Valley Forge Hilton, King of Prussia)
12 October 1973	The fall meeting was canceled to enable DVGA members to attend and participate in the AAG Middle States Division meeting in Philadelphia.
29 March 1974	Brian Berry: The Changing Nature of Dual Housing Markets.  (Valley Forge Hilton)
22 November 1974	Donald Meinig: American Beginnings—A Geographic Formulation of Transatlantic Undertakings.  (Lamb Tavern, Springfield)
18 April 1975	Gordon Wolman: Generalists and Specialists—The Interdisciplinary Dilemma.  (Lamb Tavern)
21 November 1975	Edward Ullman: Amtrak from the Inside and Outside.  (Lamb Tavern)
9 April 1976	James Vance: Liberal Tradition in American Urbanism—Medieval Roots in the American City.  (Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Philadelphia)
12 November 1976	L. Schuyler: Fonaroff: Medical Geography.  (Newtown Squire, Newtown Square, PA)
25 March 1977	Norbert Psuty: Sandy Hook and Coastal Change.  (Newtown Squire)
9 December 1977	James R. Anderson: Geographic Research in the U. S. Geological Survey.  (George Washington Motor Lodge, Plymouth Meeting)
5 May 1978	Risa Palm: House Price Trends—The Role of Financial and Real Estate Instructions and Growth Control Policies.  (Welkinweir, Pughtown, PA)
10 November 1978	Wilbur Zelinsky: Explaining the Unexpected—Some Causes and Consequences of the Metro-Nonmetro Migrational Turnaround.  (Welkinweir)
30 November 1979	Daniel George: Toward the Development of a Theory of Black Crime and Urbanism.  (George Washington Motor Lodge)
2 May 1980	Martyn Bowden: Drought in America—Science, the Media, and Government Response.  (George Washington Motor Lodge)
14 November 1980	John R. Mather: Water—Not Enough of the Right Kind; Too Much of the Wrong Kind.  (George Washington Motor Lodge)
10 April 1981	Roger Downs: The Mystery of Wayfinding—Mazes, Maps, and Minds.  (West Chester Inn)
13 November 1981	Marvin Creamer: A Geographer’s Odyssey—Sailing the Seas by Stars Alone.  (West Chester Treadway Inn, West Chester)
16 April 1982	Susan Hanson: Female Mobility in the City—How Women’s Changing Roles Affect Daily Travel Patterns.  (West Chester Treadway Inn)
19 November 1982	Vincent Malmstrom: The Sacred Meso-American Calendar—Its Origins and Diffusion.  (West Chester Treadway Inn)
8 April 1983	Judy Olson: Future Directions in Cartography (“Tanglewood”, residence of the President of West Chester University)
2 December 1983	Harm deBlij: Geography and Wine.  (West Chester Treadway Inn)
6 April 1984	George Demko: Manipulating People over Space—An International Perspective on Population Distribution Policies.  (West Chester Inn)
2 November 1984	Marvin Creamer: Voyage of the Globestar—A Non-Instrument Circumnavigation.  (West Chester Inn)
Spring 1985	Robert Aangeenbrug: The Future of the Association of American Geographers.  (West Chester Inn)
15 November 1985	Melvin Marcus: Is Nepal Really Slipping into the Sea?  (West Chester Inn)
21 March 1986	Christopher Salter: Is Geography a Trivial Pursuit?  (West Chester Inn)
14 November 1986	Barry Bishop: Man and the Himalayan Mountain Realm.  (West Chester Inn)
10 April 1987	Rodney Erickson: The Role of Geography in International Business.  (West Chester Inn)
13 November 1987	Susan Brooker-Gross: An Agenda for Geography of Mass Communications.  (West Chester Inn)
22 April 1988	Harold Rose: Black Miami—Positively or Negatively Affected by Cuban Political Migration?  (West Chester Inn)
14 October 1988	Kenneth Corey: The Role of Information Technology in Urban Development Planning—The Case of Singapore.  (West Chester Inn)
28 April 1989	Lydia Pulsipher: A Geographer’s Perspective on the 500th Anniversary of Columbus’s Voyage.  (West Chester Inn)
16 November 1989	John Townshend: The Environment Viewed from Space—An Illustrated Lecture.  (West Chester Inn)
23 March 1990	Phillip Gersmehl: Bonanza for the Land Miners: A Geographer Looks at Resource Issue.  (West Chester Inn)
2 November 1990	David Cuff: Producing the Pennsylvania Atlas.  (West Chester Inn)
5 April 1991	Saul Cohen: Changing Geopolitics of the Middle East.  (West Chester Inn)
15 November 1991	Lakshman Yapa: Theories of Third World Development—Solution or Problem?  (West Chester Inn)
24 April 1992	Stephen Leatherman: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Impact.  (West Chester Inn)
20 November 1992	Richard Boehm: The Death of Geographic Illiteracy.  (West Chester Inn)
26 March 1993	Diana Liverman: Mexico in the 1990’s—Environmental Change and Environmental Transformation.  (West Chester Inn)
22 October 1993	Tina Cary: Around the World in 99 Minutes.  (West Chester Inn)
29 April 1994	James W. Harrington, Jr.: The North American Free Trade Agreement: Changing Economic Geography and Regional Development.  (West Chester Inn)
23 September 1994	Janice J. Monk: Finding Their Place: Women Geographers in the 20th Century.  (West Chester Inn)
28 April 1995	Glenda Laws: The Land of Old Age: Housing America’s Elderly.  West Chester Inn)
3 November 1995	John Benhart, Sr.: Geographic Change in the Modern World.  (West Chester Inn)
3 May 1996	Billie Lee Turner, II: Great Riddles of Global Change.  (West Chester Inn)
22 November 1996	Jeff Osleeb: The Greenpoint/Williamsburg Environmental Benefits Program: Application of Modern Geography.  (West Chester Inn)
11 April 1997	Gary Shannon: The Geography of Plagues: From the Black Death to Aids.  (West Chester Inn)
7 November 1997	Patricia Gober: The Demographic Balkanization of America: Migration Patterns of the US Foreign-born Population.  (Holiday Inn, Lionsville)
17 April 1998	Harold “Duke” Winters: Physical Geography and the Eastern Theatre of the American Civil War.  (Holiday Inn, Lionsville)
4 December 1998	Joseph S. Wood: American Settlement Patterns: The Vietnamese Experience.  (Holiday Inn, West Chester)
16 April 1999	Alexander Murphy: Contemporary Europe: A Geographer’s “Take” on Integration and Disintegration.  (Holiday Inn)
19 November 1999	John W. Frazier: Minority Concentrations and Issues of Equity in American Cities.  (Holiday Inn)
31 March 2000	Susan Hardwick: Geographic Education in the New Century: Distance Learning or Green Grass Campus?  (Holiday Inn)
3 November 2000	Joel Morrison: The Effects of Technological Change on Organizations—Examples from Census 2000 and USGS.  (Holiday Inn)
16 March 2001	Duane Nellis: Reflections on Botswana: Geographic Information Technologies for Natural Resource Management.  (Holiday Inn)
2 November 2001	Kimberly Crews: Census 2000: Portrait of Our Nation.   (Holiday Inn)
5 April 2002	Jerry Ratcliffe: The Greatest Survival Story Ever Told: A Re-creation of he Original Lantern-Slide Lecture of Shackleton's 1914-17 Antarctic Expedition   (Holiday Inn)
8 November 2002	Ronald F. Abler: Geography and New Technology  (Holiday Inn)
2 May 2003	Victoria Lawson: Globalization, Neoliberal Reforms, and National Identity Among Poor Migrants in Ecuador  (The Inn at Chester Springs)
7 November 2003	Gen. Gerald Galloway: Floods and More Floods: Why Can't Geographers Get the Message Across?  (The Inn at Chester Springs)
23 April 2004	Ines Miyares: New York City's Changing Ethnic Landscape  (Holiday Inn)
3 December 2004	Richard Marston: Geography's Advantage in Environmental Change Studies  (Holiday Inn)
22 April 2005	Kenneth Lacovara: Paleogeography  (Holiday Inn--Ft. Washington)
18 November 2005	Mark DeMulder: USGS Geospatial Information: A Legacy and a Future  (Holiday Inn)
28 April 2006	Kavita Pandit: Immigration of Indian Technology Workers to the US: Implications for Geography and Beyond  (Holiday Inn--Ft. Washington)
11 November 2006	John Western: Muslims and Christians in Strasbourg, France: Five Recent Encounters  (Holiday Inn--West Chester)
27 April 2007	Marie Price: Immigrants in Cities: Contemporary Perspectives   (Holiday Inn--Ft. Washington)
30 November 2007	Roman Cybriwski: (Holiday Inn--West Chester)
25 April 2008	Kevin Patrick: A Geography of Changing Roadside Modernity   (Holiday Inn--Ft. Washington)
20 November 2009	John Hasse: Finding the Right Track to Smart Growth in the Garden State   (Holiday Inn--West Chester)
23 April 2010	David Robinson: Thoughts on a Snowy Winter (Holiday Inn--Ft. Washington)

3. DVGA Field Trips
 

9 June 1965	The Philadelphia-Camden Port Area on the launch “Commonwealth”.
17 May 1969	Western and Northern Suburbs of Philadelphia.  Art Loeben, guide.
3 October 1970	The DuPont Corporation and the Wilmington Area.  Ralph Shaffer, guide.
11 November 1972	Montgomery County.  Art Loeben, guide.
3 May 1975	AMERIPORT: The Ports of Philadelphia via River Launch.  William Bennington, guide.
8 May 1976	The Brandywine Conservation Area.  Bob Struble, Jr., guide.
9 May 1987	Hawk Mountain.  Percy Dougherty and Sandra Pritchard, guides.
1 November 1980	Atlantic City, NJ.  Elizabeth Marsh and Charles Stansfield, guides.
2 May 1981	Pennsylvania House and Barn Tour.  Robert Ensminger, guide.
26 June 1982	Physical and Cultural Contrasts on Delmarva.  Laurence Kalkstein, guide.
7 May 1983	Over the Bridge to Camden.  George Blyn and John Tachovsky, guides.
17 October 1983	The Amish Landscape and Three Mile Island.  Harold Leaman, guide.
20 May 1986	A Planner’s View of Montgomery County: Trends in Landscape Uses.  Art Loeben, guide.
27 September 1986	Delmarva II.  Tom Meirding, guide.
7 November 1987	Rails and Highways of York.  Charles Boas, guide.
Spring 1988	Anthracite Region.
Fall 1988	Anthracite Area.  Chet Zimolzak and Bernard McGonigle, guides.
24 March 1990	Lancaster County Tourism.  Gary Hovinen, guide.
16 November 1991	Wineries of Eastern Pennsylvania.  Percy Dougherty, guide.
27 May 1992	Aerial Data Reduction, Inc.  Pennsauken, NJ.  Percy Dougherty, guide.
5 December 1992	Three Centuries of Philadelphia Urban Development, Arthur Petrillo, guide.
12 November 1994	A Slice of the Poconos, Ian Ackroyd-Kelly, guide.
4 November 1995	The Edge City, Arthur Loeben and George Fasic, guides.
5 October 1996	Environments of Delmarva, Laurence Kalkstein, guide.
8 November 1997	Urban Land Use Changes in the Lehigh Valley, Michael Kaiser, guide.
18 April 1998	The Role of Geography and Geology in the Battle of Gettysburg, Harold “Duke” Winters, guide.
1 May 1999	The Geographies, Past and Present, of Valley Forge National Historical Park, Joan Welch and Sandra Mather, guides.
28 April 2000	Mushroom Growing in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Sandra Mather, guide.
27 April 2002	Edge City: The Western Philadelphia Suburbs, Arthur Loeben, guide.
5 April 2003	The Pinelands of New Jersey, G. Russell Juelg, guide.
16 April 2005	Sterling Hill Mine and the Great Valley, Ian Ackroyd-Kelly, guide.
3 December 2005	Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, Percy Dougherty and John Watson, guides.
5 April 2008	Lehigh Valley Wine Terrior, Percy Dougherty and Sam Landis, guides.
2 May 2009	Philadelphia Brewery Tour, Rich Wagner, guide.