John P. Snyder

At a cartography conference in 1976, he learned of the need for a map projection that would suit the special needs of Landsat satellite imagery.

[2] He had recently been able to purchase a pocket calculator (TI-59) of his own and set to work creating what became known as the space-oblique mercator projection, which he provided to the USGS at no charge.

Library of Congress historian John Hessler stated it is "perhaps the most complex map projection".

He taught courses on map projection at George Mason University.

He was president of the American Cartographic Association (now CaGIS) from 1990–1991 and also served as a secretary to the Washington Map Society.