Wolfgang Louis Gottfried Joerg, better known as W. L. G. Joerg (February 6, 1885 – January 7, 1952), was an American geographer, and in particular an expert in the geography of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, who exercised broad influence on the field in various positions, ultimately as Chief Archivist of the Cartographic Records Branch of the National Archives.
[2] A prodigy, Joerg graduated from the Brooklyn Polytechnic Preparatory School at the age of fourteen.
[1] After returning to Germany for a five year stint at the University of Göttingen, Joerg entered into employment with the American Geographical Society in 1911, where he would remain until 1937, when he left the Society to accept the post of Chief of the Division of Maps and Charts in the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.[2] Joerg was the first employee of the Society to have had advanced university training in modern geography.
Joerg on January 7, 1952 the Board on Geographic Names has lost a true friend and trusted advisor who served as a member of the United States Board on Geographic Names from June 9, 1938 and as its chairman from March 18, 1940 until its replacement by the present Board on July 10, 1947, and WHEREAS he served as a chairman of the Special Committee on Antarctic Names from its inception on July 23, 1943 to July 25, 1947, and as a member of the succeeding Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names until his death and WHEREAS his extraordinary knowledge of geography, geographers, exploration and scientific literature in several languages, his unwavering devotion to truth and scholarship, and his deep understanding of the principles of geographic nomenclature are reflected in all of the Board's successes from the time he joined it, and WHEREAS his warm human kindness, modesty and integrity generated both affection and respect for him in all who came to know him: Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board on Geographic Names in regular meeting assembled, humbly acknowledges its great debt to the late W.L.G.
Joerg, and proudly holds aloft as a beacon his example of selfless service to his fellow men; and be it further