Barrows, Harlan H. (Harlan Harland), 1877-

Harlan H. Barrows (b. April 15, 1877, d. May 15, 1960) was an important figure in the early development of the academic discipline of geography in the United States. As a university professor and government consultant, Barrows played a leading role in the developing fields of historical geography and the conservation of the environment and natural resources. Born in Armada, Michigan, Barrows gained experience teaching in Michigan at both the Ferris Institute and the Michigan State Normal College, Ypsilanti.

Barrows came to the University of Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century as the Department of Geography was being formed under the direction of Rollin D. Salisbury. This was to be the first full, independent Geography Department of any United States university and the only one for about twenty years afterward. In 1903, Barrows earned a Bachelor's degree in geology and worked as a graduate assistant. He was appointed full professor in geography in 1914, and then chair of the department from 1919 until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1942.

Barrows' impressive and dynamic lectures garnered fame across the university campus, with his introductory course, "Historical Geography of the United States," becoming particularly famous. His courses became models for universities across the country, especially since he was a particularly influential mentor to budding geographers. Barrows was concerned with the development of the academic discipline of geography, and he co-wrote the college introductory textbook "The Elements of Geography" with Salisbury and W.S. Tower. He later also contributed to a series of elementary school textbooks on geography. As President of the Association of American Geographers, he made an address in 1922, "Geography as Human Ecology," that remained highly influential in proposing to consolidate the discipline of geography and to supplant the misleading trend of environmental determinism. This influential shift in the development of the field is seen mostly in Barrows' teaching.

During World War I, government service in the United States War Trade Board gave Barrows significant experience in tackling practical human needs and proposing solutions through the application of geographical ideas to resource management and planning. His government service continued in 1933, when Barrows became a consultant in Washington, D.C. for various government agencies, mostly with the Department of the Interior. This included work in the Mississippi Valley Committee (1933-34), the Water Resources Committee (1935-1941), and the Northern Great Plains Committee (1938-1940). For many of his later years as department chair and even after retirement, Barrows served on numerous other planning and conservation committees, extending his influence outside the university.

Barrows died in Highland Park, Illinois in 1960.

From the guide to the Barrows, Harlan H. Papers, circa 1880-1939, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)