Does anyone have a history of this agency as far as when it was created and who were the primary members? It appears to be a government agency created sometime before 1920 that was designed to prevent duplication of work. I am assuming that USGS and USC&GS were primary members.
Try Google
My second click turned up that it was formed in 1919, renamed in 1936, and abolished in 1942. I'm sure you want more info - it's out there.
It's probably the forerunner of DMA (Defense Mapping Agency).
From http://digital.lib.umn.edu/TEXTS/011/0004BODY.PDF (page 236)
Function is now performed by OMB and described in Circular A-16 Revised: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a016_rev/
"Federal Board of Surveys and Maps
OFFICIALS
Chairman (Forest Service) ....- _..... .. ... T. W. NORCROSS
Vice Chairman (U. S. Geological Survey)- ..... _ JOHN G. STAACK
Secretary ---------..................... ,....., WILLIAM H. GILL
INFORMATION
Room 7208, Department of the Interior Building, F Street between Eighteenth
and Nineteenth Streets NW., Washington, D. C.
Telephone, Republic 1820, Branch 3748
236 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MANUAL
CREATION AND AUTHORITY.-The Board of Surveys and Maps was
established by Executive Order No. 3026, of December 30, 1919. Executive
Order No. 7262, of January 4, 1936, changed the name to Federal
Board of Surveys and Maps.
PURPOSE.-It is the purpose of the Board to make recommendations
to the executive departments, independent establishments, and the
President to aid in the coordination of all map-making and surveying
activities of the Government, and in the settlement of questions arising
in the executive departments and independent establishments relating
to surveys and maps. A central information office has been established
in the United States Geological Survey for the purpose of collecting,
classifying, and furnishing information concerning all map and survey
data and aerial photography available in the various Government
agencies and elsewhere.
ORGANIZATION.-The Board is composed of 25 members, and a like
number of alternates, each of whom is the representative of a Government
bureau or agency concerned with maps or surveys. Appointments
to the Board 'are made by the various bureau chiefs, and the
employees so designated receive no additional compensation. An advisory
council, composed of representatives of 22 non-Federal organizations,
clubs, and associations, submits recommendations to the Board
for consideration at its meetings and otherwise represents the map-using
public in affairs of the Board. Meetings are held on the second
Tuesday of each month, excepting June, July, and August.
Approved.
T. W. Norcross
Chairman"
Try Google
Dave,
Can you provide that link. I always do a thorough Internet search before asking a question like this, but I didn't personally find very much without piecing things together. I was asking more from the standpoint if someone had a book or other documentation in their private collection.
Thanks, Jerry
The forerunner of the DMA (Defense Mapping Agency) was the individual mapping programs run by each of the military services. For the Army, it was the Army Map Service (AMS) that got rolled into DMA.
In 1972 Nixon signed an executive order creating DMA, which absorbed all the separate service mapping & charting efforts.
The old Army Map Service was one hell of an organization, and included efforts like the Inter-American Geodetic Survey. It was the AMS that developed UTM and MGRS (which was adopted just a few years ago by the USGS and is called the US National Grid).
The creation of the DMA was inevitable, though. There was far too much duplication of effort among the various services when it came to mapping & charting.
