John Snyder passed away on April 28, 1997 in Olney, MD. He was 71 years
old. kam
What makes a man who never took a course in map projections a respected scientist in
the field? An interest in maps which dates back to his childhood!
Background- John Parr Snyder was born April 12, 1926 in Indianapolis, IN. He married
Jeanne Kallmeyer (a social worker) May 3, 1952 and had two children: Barbara and Carolyn.
In 1948 he received a B.S.Ch.E. from Purdue University and in 1949 a S.M.Ch.E.P. from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked for CIBA-GEIGY Corp., in Summit, N.J., as
a chemical project engineer from 1956 to 1978. Between 1978 and 1980 he continued to work
for CIBA-GEIGY but only part-time. In 1978, he had become a physical scientist
specializing in map projections and related cartography with the U.S. Geological Survey
where he continues to work.
The Story Unfolds- While in high school, John P. Snyder began a hobby of map
projections (mapping the round earth on a flat surface mathematically . . . No small feat
for a high school student or a seasoned cartographer!). Overwhelmed by the mathematics of
map projections and the required hand computations using logarithm tables, he abandoned
the project. Over thirty years later, he bought an $80.00 pocket calculator that would
change his life. The seemingly uneventful action would soon renew his interest in map
projections. Soon after, this led to a full time profession that would replace his career
as a chemical engineer.
In 1976, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) encountered a problem. A system for reducing
the amount of distortion caused when satellite pictures of the round Earth were printed on
a flat page, had to be developed. This system would also have to correct for the
simultaneous rotation of the Earth and the movement of the satellite. The mathematics
involved were the stuff nightmares are made off. Mathematicians, cartographers and
computer applications were part of the problem-solving team that tackled the intricate
project . . . $22,000 in consulting fees later, the USGS was still unable to solve their
problem
The USGS decided to appeal for help at a conference in 1976. John Snyder, while on
vacation, had attended this conference. The USGS appealed for help and his newly purchased
pocket calculator were all he needed to give his old hobby another shot. Working at home,
he devised several dozen mathematical formulas that he later submitted, at no charge, to
the USGS.
In 1978, two years after the conference, he started a new career at the USGS
headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Snyder's formulas were used to produce maps from the
Landsat 4 satellite launched the summer of 1982.
The Book- What is the connection between John P. Snyder, Keith Clarke (our Chairman of
course) and yours truly? Flattening the Earth: Two thousand years of Map Projections.
Chicago and London. University of Chicago Press, 1993. Snyder wrote the book. Prof. Clarke
made it the required reading for his Spring 1995 Seminar in Map Projections. And, you
guessed it, I had to read it.
After the realization that Snyder's book was not filled cover to cover with convoluted
mathematical equations as I had expected, I was able to appreciate the tremendous amount
of research involved in making this book a reality. In reading this book, one can not help
but to appreciate the dilemmas faced by map makers since the first representation of the
Earth on a flat surface was attempted. Today, regardless of technological advances, map
makers are still trying to determine, and continue to argue over, the most accurate way to
depict, two-dimensionally, the many features of the Earth. How a mapmaker elects to do
this affects the contents of the map and therefore the map reader's perception of the
information being represented.
Over time, many map projections and transformations have been developed by map creators
coming from diverse fields; the arts, religion, mathematics and engineering to name a few.
The variation in what has been invented is striking and can sometimes be confusing. In
reality, for any given map, more than one projection could be chosen. Some choices will
serve established goals better than others but it is not unheard of for a poor choice, or
bad design, to be popularized.
Snyder's book provides the reader with a broad view of the development of map
projections. Diagrams and reproductions of early or original versions, as well as many
modern renditions, illustrate how varied the possibilities are for creating maps of the
entire world or only large areas.
In earlier times, maps were drawn with geometric tools even when their underlying
nature could be expressed by simple equations. With the passage of time, however, maps
were developed with more elaborate equations. Formulas were progressively adapted to
represent variations on basic, but generally incompatible, characteristics representing
either distance, area, local shapes or direction.
Attempting to write about map projections without introducing formulas is not an option
if one is trying to provide an accurate rendition of the subject. Snyder introduced
formulas throughout his book in a way that even the "mathematically challenged"
(politically correct term used to address those who sob uncontrollably when presented with
involved mathematical problems), is comfortable with.
The bibliography should be a separate chapter titled "Who's Who in the Mapping
Sciences". During Prof. Clarke's projections seminar everyone in the classroom
referred to, an treated, Snyder's bibliography as an encyclopedic source of information.
The information contained in it transcended national and language boundaries.
Flattening the Earth: 2000 years of map projections is indisputably in a class by
itself. It provides an exhaustive catalog that lists projections created from 500 B.C. to
the present while concentrating on developments since the Renaissance. This is an awesome
accomplishment, given the complexity of the subject and the huge number of projections
produced. Snyder's book is a valuable reference for anyone interested in the history of
map making and cartographic design. Other Snyder publications address a narrower range of
map projections and illustrate practical and analytical techniques.
Other Snyder Publications-
- The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries, 1606-1968, New Jersey Bureau of Geology and
Topography, 1969.
- The Mapping of New Jersey: The Men and the Art, Rutgers University Press,1973.
- The Mapping of New Jersey in the American Revolution, New Jersey Historical Commission,
1975.
- Space Oblique Mercator Projection-Mathematical Development, U.S.Geological Survey, 1981.
- Map Projections Used by the U.S.Geological Survey, U.S.Geological Survey, 1982.
- Computer-Assisted Map Projection Research, U.S.Geological Survey, 1985.
Snyder also contributed articles on map projections to various journals.
Awards & Honors- Snyder received an award of merit from American Association for
State and Local History, 1970, for The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries, 1606-1968;
and the John Weseley Powell Award for U.S.Geological Survey, 1978.
©Copyright 1997 P.A. Ahmetaj, Hunter College, Geography Department -
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