{{Short description|International multidisciplinary professional society}} {{Use American English|date=July 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Other uses|Explorers Club (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox organization | name = The Explorers Club | formation = {{start date and age|1904}} | logo = File:Explorers_Club_sign_(82355).jpg | image = Explorers Club Headquarters.jpg | image_size = | caption = Headquarters of the Explorers Club in New York City | founder = Henry Collins Walsh | headquarters = New York City | membership = 3,500 | num_members_year = 2023 | website = {{URL|explorers.org}} }} '''The Explorers Club''' is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for explorers and scientists worldwide.
The Explorers Club hosts an annual dinner to honor accomplishments in exploration, which is known for its exotic, "adventurous" cuisine.<ref>{{cite news| title=Explorers Club: Less 'Egad' and More 'Wow!'| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E5DB1631F930A35751C1A9629C8B63| newspaper=New York Times| date=December 3, 2004| last=Richardson| first=Lynda| access-date=February 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Park|first=Michael|url=http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/03/eating-maggots.html|title=Eating Maggots: The Explorers Club Dinner|website=www.epicurious.com|date=March 17, 2008|access-date=April 1, 2010|archive-date=January 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132312/http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/03/eating-maggots.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2023, the club reported total revenue of $5,352,688 and total assets of $17,108,895. In 2023 it also reported total giving of $750,479.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Explorers Club |url=https://app.candid.org/profile/6906557/explorers-club-13-1866795 |website=candid.org |publisher=Candid. |access-date=17 February 2026}}</ref>
==History== In 1904, a group of men active in exploration met at the request of noted journalist, historian and explorer Henry Collins Walsh to form an organization to unite explorers in the bonds of good fellowship and to promote the work of exploration by every means in its power.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190116-the-secret-travel-club-thats-been-everywhere|title=The secret travel club that's been everywhere|last=MacEacheran|first=Mike|website=www.bbc.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-17}}</ref> Joining Walsh were Adolphus Greely, Donaldson Smith, Carl Lumholtz, Marshall Saville, Frederick Dellenbaugh and David Brainard. After several further informal meetings, the Explorers Club was incorporated on October 25, 1905. Women were first admitted in 1981, with a class including Sylvia Earle and Kathryn Sullivan.<ref name="ec1">{{cite web |url=http://www.explorers.org/index.php/about/history/a_gathering_place |title=A Gathering Place |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=February 2, 2011 |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208001352/http://www.explorers.org/index.php/about/history/a_gathering_place |url-status=dead }}</ref> Famous honorary members have included Theodore Roosevelt, John Glenn, Jim Fowler, Walter Cronkite, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Edmund Hillary, Buzz Aldrin and Albert I, Prince of Monaco.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.explorers.org/index.php/about/history/honorary_members |title=The Explorers Club Honorary Members |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=September 26, 2013 |archive-date=June 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627091513/http://www.explorers.org/index.php/about/history/honorary_members |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The Explorers Club has 34 chapters in the United States and around the world,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/about/chapters/ |title=The Explorers Club Chapters |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref> which serve as local contact points for explorers, scientists and students. Many chapters hold monthly dinners, lectures and seminars, award field-research grants to students, publish newsletters and organize expeditions, field trips and educational events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/join-us/ |title=The Explorers Club About Membership |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>
===Charter members=== *David Legge Brainard (1856–1946): U.S. Army Lieutenant-Colonel: Sioux, Bannock, and Nez Perce Campaigns; Survivor, Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881–1884); in 1882 claimed Farthest North at 83º24’30” North latitude *Frank Chapman (1864–1945): Curator of Birds and Mammals, American Museum of Natural History *Frederick Cook (1865–1940): Surgeon and ethnologist to the first Peary Expedition to Greenland (1892); leader of the SS ''Miranda'' Expedition (1894); surgeon on the Belgica Expedition (1897–1898), the first ship to winter over in the Antarctic; founding member of the American Alpine Club (1902) *Herschel Clifford Parker (1867–1931): Professor of Physics, Columbia University; mountaineer; author; founding member of the American Alpine Club (1902) *Marshall Howard Saville (1867–1935): Professor of American Archaeology, Columbia University; Curator of Archaeology, American Museum of Natural History *Henry Collins Walsh (1863–1927): Journalist; historian; explorer of Central America and Greenland; founding member of Arctic Club of America (1894);<ref name=ec21>{{cite web|last1=Lembo|first1=Karen|last2=Mendell|first2=Sarah|url=https://explorers.org/pdf/arctic_club_finding_aid.pdf|title=Finding aid to the Arctic Club of America|publisher=The Explorers Club|access-date=July 17, 2015|archive-date=August 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829004041/https://explorers.org/pdf/arctic_club_finding_aid.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> nominal "founder" of the Explorers Club (1904) *Caspar Whitney (1862–1929): War correspondent, explorer of North and South America, outdoorsman, sports journalist, member of the International Olympic Committee (1900–1905), author; Editor, ''Outing'' magazine
===Fellows and members=== The Explorers Club has approximately 3,500 members worldwide, with members from every continent and in more than 60 countries. The club differentiates exploration for field science from exploratory travel for tourism. Individuals eligible for membership are those who engage in or support field science expeditions aimed at exploring unfamiliar or poorly understood locations or phenomena, with the goal of acquiring knowledge for the benefit of humanity. The focus is on individuals who have gained practical experience by actively participating in fieldwork as participants in one or more documented scientific expeditions.<ref name="JoinUs">{{cite web|title=The Explorers Club: About Membership |url=https://www.explorers.org/join-us/ |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> The club has made it a priority to expand its membership to include qualified explorers from across a range of diversities, including race, culture, gender, age, sexual orientation, geography and socio-economic level, as well as explorers with disabilities.
Membership and affiliation of the club is divided into several categories. Fellows have made documented contributions to scientific knowledge through field expeditions. Such accomplishments are often evidenced by regular scientific publication, but may also be documented in books, popular media, or broadcast media.<ref name=":1" /> Members have evidenced a sustained interest and participation in some aspect of field exploration and have contributed in broad terms to the cause of exploration and the furthering of scientific knowledge. Term memberships are open to full-time graduate students and teaching instructors that meet the same standards/qualifications that exist for regular Members. "Friends of the Club" are individuals who wish to associate with The Explorers Club and support its mission. Student Members are full-time students, between the ages of 16 and 30, who are enrolled in accredited institutions and are interested in pursuing exploration or field science as a future career or avocation.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Join Us |url=https://www.explorers.org/join-us/ |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=The Explorers Club |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="JoinUs"/>
=== Famous firsts === The Explorers Club is renowned for various "Famous Firsts" accomplished by its members, including:<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of The Explorer's Club |url=https://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/expedition/a-brief-history-of-the-explorers-club/ |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=exhibitions.fitnyc.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Clara Moskowitz|author1-link= Clara Moskowitz |date=2013-08-20 |title=Photos: Inside the Explorers Club |url=https://www.livescience.com/37916-explorers-club-headquarters-photos.html |access-date=2023-08-10 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref>
* First to the North Pole (1909) – Robert E. Peary (honorary membership in 1912) & Matthew Henson. Robert Peary's claim to have been the first to the North Pole has been disputed and current consensus does not support his claim. However, in 1968 Ralph Plaisted became the first undisputed person to reach the North Pole over land.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Doubts Cast on Peary's Claim to Pole |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1988/08/22/031988.html?zoom=14.63&pageNumber=27 |access-date=2024-08-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tierney |first=John |date=2009-09-08 |title=Who Was First at the North Pole? |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/who-was-first-at-the-north-pole/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=TierneyLab |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=US Census Bureau |first=Census History Staff |title=April 2019 - History - U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/history/www/homepage_archive/2019/april_2019.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.census.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=2008-09-13 |title=Ralph Plaisted, 80, Adventurer and Polar Pioneer, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/13/us/13plaisted.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> * First to the South Pole (1911) – Roald Amundsen, honorary membership in 1912 * First to the summit of Mt. Everest (1953) – Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay, elected honorary members 1953 * First to the deepest point in the ocean (1960) – Don Walsh (honorary member 1997) & Jacques Piccard * First to the surface of the Moon (1969) – Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin
===Headquarters=== thumb|First floor fireplace The Explorers Club held its first regular meeting at its original headquarters in the Studio Building at 23 West 67th Street in New York City.<ref name=":0" /> The club finished construction on its next headquarters at 544 Cathedral Parkway in 1928 and there the club continued to expand its extensive collection of artifacts, trophies and books on exploration.
In 1965, spurred by Lowell Thomas,<ref name=":0" /> the club purchased its current headquarters on the Upper East Side, a six-story Jacobean revival mansion on East 70th Street, where it houses the James B. Ford Exploration Library, the Sir Edmund Hillary Map Room and a collection of artifacts from more than a century of exploration. The building was previously the home of Stephen C. Clark. Certain designated rooms of the club are open to the general public.
===Lectures and publications=== In the 1920s, the club began to invite both explorers returning from the field and visiting scientists to relate their experiences and findings. By the 1930s these informal gatherings developed into academic lectures and illustrated talks. The club continues to provide weekly lectures and programs, which are often open to the public at its headquarters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.explorers.org/index.php/events/ |title=Explorers Club Events Page |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref> In November 1921, the Explorers Club published the first edition of ''The Explorers Journal'' to share news from the field, remarks from headquarters, recent acquisitions, obituaries and book reviews. ''The Explorers Journal'' is still published quarterly,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zinio.com/magazine/The-Explorers-Journal/pr-500652713/cat-cat1960042 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140328192132/http://www.zinio.com/magazine/The-Explorers-Journal/pr-500652713/cat-cat1960042 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |title=The Explorers Journal: The Official Quarterly of The Explorers Club since 1921 |website=Zinio.com |access-date=March 28, 2014 }}</ref> with articles and photography from Explorers Club members in the field.
'''Television series'''
In 2022, the Explorers Club and Discovery Channel formed a partnership to produce a series called ''Tales from the Explorers Club'', which is hosted by Explorers Club member Josh Gates. The series covered stories about other famous Explorers Club members such as Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary, Gertrude Bell, Jim Lovell and Jeff Bezos.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=2022-04-21 |title=Discovery Greenlights 'Tales From the Explorers Club,' Unveils Expedition Grants and Diversity Initiatives (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/discovery-explorers-club-series-josh-gates-1235133383/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>
==The Explorers Club flag== thumb|The Explorers Club flag The Explorers Club flag has been carried on hundreds of expeditions by club members since 1918. To obtain permission to carry the flag, a club member must show that the expedition holds the promise of scientific results. The flag must be exhibited at every suitable opportunity on the expedition, and must be returned to the club along with a written record of the expedition, called the Flag Report. The club's Research Collections is the repository for these unique reports, including the original "Flag Book" – a bound journal of hand-written reports, vintage prints, clippings and assorted records submitted by the explorers who first carried the Explorers Club flag on expeditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://flagandhonors.explorers.org/ |title=The Explorers Club: Flags and Honors |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref>
There are currently 242 numbered flags.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=Spring 2024 |title=flag expeditions in brief |url=http://explorers.org/about/in-the-field |journal=The Explorers Log |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=16–17}}</ref> Many of the older flags have been retired. The Explorers Club flag has been carried on such expeditions as: *Flag #2 – Roy Chapman Andrews – the Gobi Desert expeditions *Flag #7 – Sir George Hubert Wilkins – the first trans-Arctic flights *Flag #32 – Capt. Robert A. "Bob" Bartlett – the ''Effie M. Morrissey'' expeditions *Flag #50 – Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg – Solar Impulse across America<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vimeo.com/83866712 |title=Solar Impulse Visits The Explorers Club |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=January 25, 2014}}</ref> *Flag #61 – Luc Hardy – the Pax Arctica expedition (Canadian Arctic) *Flag #71 – Raphaël Domjan – PlanetSolar the first around the world with solar energy *Flag #80 – Tim Taylor FN’04, Citation of Merit Laureate 2008 – Discovery of three lost US WWII submarines: Expedition R-12, Expedition S-26, Expedition S-28<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lost52project.org |title=Lost 52 Project}}</ref> *Flag #81 – Victor Vescovo and Patrick Lahey – the Five Deeps expedition<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.explorers.org//events/detail/breaking-news-come-hear-updates-on-the-five-deeps-expedition-and-the-discovery-series-deep-planet|title=Updates of the Five Deeps Exepedition|publisher=www.explorers.org|access-date=May 13, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> *Flag #105 – L. Ron Hubbard – The Alaska Radio Experimental Expedition <ref name="Now Religion">{{cite web |last=Malko|first=George|url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/malko/1.htm|title=Scientology, The Now Religion|publisher=Delacorte Press|access-date=October 21, 2019|quote=It is a fact that in 1940... he [Hubbard] was duly elected a member of the august Explorer's Club in New York... In explaining the circumstances of Hubbard's election to the club, Mr. Randol [Ward Randol, the club's executive director] told me in no uncertain terms that he personally knew the members who had sponsored Hubbard and certainly does not hesitate to vouch for their integrity and judgment... In 1940 Hubbard made his first expedition as a member of the Explorer's Club, and was granted the club flag to carry on his voyage, a distinct honor given only when a member's application and description of an intended expedition has been given the severest scrutiny... Hubbard's expedition that year was to Alaska, under the title of the Alaskan-Radio Expedition. In the years since, Hubbard has made two more voyages flying the Explorer's Club flag, one in 1961, an Oceanographic-Archeological Expedition, and one in 1966, the Hubbard Geological Survey Expedition.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mediaresources.lronhubbard.org/chronicle/page02.htm|title=Chronicle|publisher=Media Resources|access-date=October 21, 2019|quote=On 19 February 1940 L. Ron Hubbard is elected a member of the prestigious Explorers Club. Concurrently he plans an Alaskan expedition, and on 27 July 1940 his Alaskan Radio Experimental Expedition embarks from Seattle. His vessel is the 32-foot ketch Magician, and she sails under Explorers Club flag number 105.|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804000647/http://mediaresources.lronhubbard.org/chronicle/page02.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dokoupil|first=Tony|url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-new-texts-scientologys-l-ron-hubbard-63163|title=Exclusive New Texts from Scientology's L Ron Hubbard|date=January 29, 2013 |publisher=Newsweek|access-date= October 21, 2019|quote=In 1940 Hubbard carried the club flag on his first official expedition, sailing a vest-pocket yacht from Washington to Alaska.}}</ref> *Flag #123 – Thor Heyerdahl – the ''Kon-Tiki'' expedition *Flag #132 – David Concannon for Jeff Bezos and Bezos Expeditions – the Saturn V F-1 engine search and recovery expedition<ref>{{cite web |last=Bezos|first=Jeff|url=http://www.bezosexpeditions.com/updates.html |title=F1 Engine Recovery Updates: Congratulations Team! |publisher=Bezosexpeditions.com |access-date=March 16, 2014}}</ref> *Flag #134 – Gino Caspari – Discovery of Royal Scythian Tomb Tunnug 1<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/ancient-icy-tomb-scythian-prince-oldest-hidden-treasures-779510|title=The undisturbed tomb of a Scythian prince was found frozen in time in Siberia|last=Medrano|first=Kastalia|date=2018-01-12|website=Newsweek|access-date=2020-01-01}}</ref> *Flag #150 – George Kourounis – collecting soil samples from the Darvaza gas crater<ref>{{cite web |title=Darvaza "Doorway To Hell" Expedition - Turkmenistan |url=http://www.stormchaser.ca/Fires/Darvaza/Darvaza.html |first=George |last=Kourounis |author-link=George Kourounis |website=stormchaser.ca |date=28 December 2016 |access-date=2017-04-02}}</ref> *Flag #161 – James Cameron – the ''Deepsea Challenger'' expedition<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/james-cameron-reflects-on-exploration/ |title=James Cameron Reflects on Exploration |website=DeepseaChallenge.com |access-date=March 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326075247/http://deepseachallenge.com/latest-news/james-cameron-reflects-on-exploration/ |archive-date=March 26, 2013 }}</ref> *Flag #163 – L. Ron Hubbard – The Oceanographic-Archeological Expedition (1961) and the Hubbard Geological Survey Expedition (1966) <ref name="Now Religion" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Dokoupil|first=Tony|url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-new-texts-scientologys-l-ron-hubbard-63163|title=Exclusive New Texts from Scientology's L Ron Hubbard|date=January 29, 2013 |publisher=Newsweek|access-date=October 21, 2019|quote=Explorers Club flags are iconic, coveted awards for serious expeditions...One went to sea with Hubbard for most of the 1960s...the same flag as the astronauts aboard Apollo 8, which in 1968 became the first manned mission to orbit the moon.”}}</ref> *Flag #193 – Naomi Uemura – first solo North Pole expedition NASA missions Apollo 8, Apollo 11, Apollo 13 and Apollo 15 each carried miniature club flags on board.
==Honors and grants== ===Honors=== ''The Explorers Club Medal'', the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Club, is awarded for "extraordinary contributions directly in the field of exploration, scientific research, or to the welfare of humanity". Past recipients include:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/awards/ |title=The Explorers Club Medal |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref> {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} *1914 – Robert E. Peary *1917 – William Curtis Farabee *1918 – Vilhjalmur Stefansson *1919 – Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon *1923 – Adolphus W. Greely *1925 – Lowell H. Smith *1926 – Knud Rasmussen *1927 – Roald Amundsen *1927 – Robert Bartlett *1927 – Fridtjof Nansen *1929 – David L. Brainard *1932 – Roy Chapman Andrews *1936 – Lincoln Ellsworth *1937 – Richard E. Byrd *1940 – Sir Hubert Wilkins *1950 – Isaiah Bowman *1951 – Bernt Balchen *1953 – James Chapin *1953 – Donald B. MacMillan *1954 – Lord John Hunt *1954 – Auguste Piccard *1957 – Laurence McKinley Gould *1959 – Sir Vivian Fuchs for the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition *1961 – President Herbert Hoover *1962 – Alexander Wetmore *1963 – William H. Phelps, Jr. *1964 – Gilbert H. Grosvenor *1965 – James H. Doolittle *1966 – Robert Cushman Murphy *1967 – Charles B. Hitchcock<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/03/28/archives/dr-charles-b-hitchcock-dies-headed-geography-society-here-president.html |title=Dr. Charles B. Hitchcock Dies |work=New York Times |date=March 28, 1969 |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1968 – Finn Ronne *1968 – Lowell Thomas *1969 – William B.O. Field, Jr.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/30033975 |title=Review: With a Camera in My Hands |publisher=JSTOR |jstor=30033975 |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1970 – Julius M. Amberson *1971 – Michael J. Leahy *1971 – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins for NASA *1972 – Walter A. Wood<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/209339 |title=The Wood Yukon Expedition of 1935 |publisher=JSTOR |jstor=209339 |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1973 – Serge A. Korff *1974 – Roger Tory Peterson *1975 – Junius B. Bird *1976 – Edward M. Weyer, Jr.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.library.amnh.org/archives/agents/people/21 |title=Weyer, Edward Moffat, 1904-1998 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1977 – Lewis N. Cotlow *1978 – Leigh Wade<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/105331/major-general-leigh-wade/ |title=Major General Leigh Wade |publisher=U.S. Air Force |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1979 – Thor Heyerdahl *1980 – Willard N. Bascom *1981 – Carl von Hoffman *1982 – Virgil Kauffman<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.seg.org/wiki/Virgil_Kauffman |title=Virgil Kauffman |date=October 11, 2013 |publisher=Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *1983 – Sir Ranulph Fiennes for Transglobe Expedition *1984 – H. Bradford Washburn, Jr. *1985 – Sir Wally Herbert *1986 – Sir Edmund P. Hillary *1987 – Barry C. Bishop *1988 – Gilbert M. Grosvenor for National Geographic Society *1989 – Mary Leakey for the Leakey Family *1990 – George B. Schaller *1991 – William J. L. Sladen *1992 – Heinrich Harrer *1993 – Dame Jane Goodall *1994 – James M. Fowler *1995 – Robert D. Ballard *1996 – Sylvia A. Earle *1997 – Anna C. Roosevelt *1998 – Ardito Desio *1999 – Norman D. Vaughan *2000 – The Piccard Family *2001 – Joseph W. Kittinger *2001 – Don Walsh *2002 – Johan Reinhard *2003 – Steve Fossett *2004 – David K. Hempleman-Adams *2005 – Burt Rutan, Brian Binnie and Michael Melvill for ''SpaceShipOne'' *2006 – J. Michael Fay *2007 – Kathryn D. Sullivan *2008 – Eugenie Clark *2009 – Lee M. Talbot *2009 – Edward O. Wilson *2010 – Donald C. Johanson *2011 – Wade Davis *2012 – Philip J. Currie *2012 – Alfred S. McLaren<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usni.org/people/alfred-mclaren |title=Alfred McLaren |publisher=U.S. Naval Institute |access-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> *2013 – James Cameron<ref>{{cite web |last=Moskowitz|first=Clara|date=March 20, 2013|url=http://www.space.com/20316-explorers-club-john-glenn.html |title=Astronauts Celebrate Adventure at Explorers Club Dinner |website=Space.com |access-date=March 20, 2013}}</ref> *2014 – Walter Munk<ref>{{cite web |last=Aguilera|first=Mario|date=March 4, 2014|url=http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/medal_honors_scripps_icon_walter_munks_lifetime_of_science_and_exploration |title=Medal Honors Scripps Icon Walter Munk's Lifetime of Science and Exploration |publisher=UC San Diego}}</ref> *2015 – Neil deGrasse Tyson *2016 – Frederick Roots *2017 – André Borschberg, Bertrand Piccard and Nainoa Thompson *2018 – James A. Lovell *2019 – Kenneth Lacovara<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/about/history/the_explorers_club_medal |title=The Explorers Club Honors |publisher=The Explorers Club |access-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616041945/https://www.explorers.org/about/history/the_explorers_club_medal |url-status=dead }}</ref> *2020 – Victor Vescovo<ref>{{cite web|date=January 14, 2020|url=https://explorers.org//news/news_detail/victor-vescovo-the-2020-explorers-club-medal|title=Victor Vescovo - The 2020 Explorers Club Medal|publisher=The Explorers Club}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> *2021 – Dereck and Beverly Joubert<ref>{{cite web |url=https://greatplainsconservation.com/the-explorers-clubs-highest-honor-recognizes-extraordinary-contributions-in-the-field-of-exploration/ |title=The Explorers Club's Highest Honor Recognizes Extraordinary Contributions in the Field of Exploration |date=April 20, 2022 |publisher=Great Plains Foundation}}</ref> *2022 – Rick Ridgeway<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/leaders/rick-ridgeway |title=Rick Ridgeway |publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature}}</ref> *2023 – Margaret D. Lowman<ref>{{cite web |url=https://treefoundation.org/2023/03/08/meg-lowman-awarded-the-explorers-medal/ |title=Meg Lowman Awarded The Explorers Medal |date=March 8, 2023 |publisher=TREE Foundation}}</ref> *2024 – Rita Colwell<ref name="Awards2024">{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/the-2024-explorers-club-annual-awardees/ |title=The 2024 Explorers Club Annual Awardees |publisher=The Explorers Club |date=February 15, 2024 |access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref> *2025 – Biruté Mary Galdikas<ref name="Awards2025">{{cite web |title=Announcing the 2025 Explorers Club Awardees |url=https://www.explorers.org/2025-ecad-awardees/ |website=The Explorers Club |date=February 12, 2024 |access-date=February 13, 2025}}</ref> *2026 – Kristine McDivitt Tompkins<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=January 15, 2026 |title=ECAD 2026 Awardees |url=https://www.explorers.org/ecad-2026-awardees/ |website=The Explorers Club |location=New York City |publisher= |access-date=January 16, 2026}}</ref> {{div col end}}
''The Legendary Explorer Medal'' is given "to recognize a feat of such courage and incredible accomplishment that has transcended the ordinary bounds of history". Past recipients include:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/awards/ |title=The Legendary Explorer Medal |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref> *2013 – Scott Carpenter *2013 – John Glenn *2020 – Dame Jane Goodall *2024 – Rusty Schweickart<ref name="Awards2024"/>
Beyond ''The Explorers Club Medal'' and ''The Legendary Explorer Medal'', the club also presents, among others, ''The Edward C. Sweeney<ref>{{cite web |title=ECWG History |url=https://www.explorersclubdc.org/about/ |publisher=Explorers Club Washington Group |access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> Medal'', ''The Citation of Merit'', ''The Lowell Thomas Award'', ''The Finn Ronne Memorial Award'', ''The Buzz Aldrin Space Exploration Award'', ''The Tenzing Norgay Award'', ''The William Beebe Award'', ''The President’s Award'' and ''The New Explorer Award''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.explorers.org/index.php/about/history/honors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121095235/https://explorers.org/about/history/honors |archive-date=2015-01-21 |title=The Explorers Club Honors |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref>
Since 2021, The Explorers Club 50 (EC50) award recognizes fifty individuals across all fields within natural history. The headline for this award is "Fifty people changing the world that the world needs to know about".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-20 |title=The Explorers Club 50 |url=https://50.explorers.org/ |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=The Explorers Club 50 |language=en-US}}</ref>
===Grants=== The club also awards a range of grants for field science and exploration, including the Youth Activity Fund Grant, the Exploration Fund Grant<ref>{{cite web |title=The Explorers Club Grants |url=https://www.explorers.org/grants/ |access-date=31 March 2022 |publisher=The Explorers Club}}</ref> and the President's Award for Exploration and Technology. One club award, the Scott Pearlman Field Award for Science and Exploration,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://explorers-stl.com/about-us/research-grants/ |title=The Scott Pearlman Field Awards |publisher=The Explorers Club St. Louis, Missouri}}</ref> is named for one of the youngest club members (inducted at age 22) who was a photographer and participant in three flag expeditions. Scott A. Pearlman contracted hepatitis C and died at the age of 38. Pearlman was a son of Explorers Club member and officer Robert E. Pearlman.
==Presidents== Presidents of the Explorers Club are elected by a vote of the Board of Directors after the Annual Meeting. Men and women may offer their name for consideration. {| class="wikitable" |- ! # !! From !! To !! President<ref name=Explorers-Pres-2006>{{cite web|title=About the Club – History – Club presidents, 1905 to present|url=http://www.explorers.org/about/history/presidents/presidents.php|website=The Explorers Club|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928065244/http://www.explorers.org/about/history/presidents/presidents.php|archive-date=September 28, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | 1 || 1905 || 1906 || Adolphus Greely |- | 2 || 1907 || 1908 || Frederick Cook |- | 3 || 1909 || 1911 || Robert Peary |- | 4 || 1912 || 1913 || David Legge Brainard |- | 5 || 1913 || 1916 || Robert Peary |- | 6 || 1917 || 1918 || Carl Akeley |- | 7 || 1919 || 1922 || Vilhjalmur Stefansson |- | 8 || 1922 || 1925 || George Gustav Heye |- | 9 || 1926 || 1927 || James Ford |- | 10 || 1928 || 1930 || George Gustav Heye |- | 11 || 1931 || 1934 || Roy Chapman Andrews |- | 12 || 1935 || 1937 || Walter W. Granger |- | 13 || 1937 || 1939 || Vilhjalmur Stefansson |- | 14 || 1940 || 1943 || Herbert Spinden |- | 15 || 1944 || 1946 || Alexander Wetmore |- | 16 || 1947 || 1948 || Clyde Fisher |- | 17 || 1949 || 1950 || James Chapin |- | 18 || 1951 || 1952 || John Tee-Van |- | 19 || 1953 || 1954 || Edward Weyer Jr. |- | 20 || 1955 || 1958 || Serge A. Korff |- | 21 || 1959 || 1961 || Charles Hitchcock |- | 22 || 1961 || 1963 || John Pallister |- | 23 || 1963 || 1965 || Serge A. Korff |- | 24 || 1965 || 1967 || Edward C. Sweeney<ref>{{cite news |title=Edward C. Sweeney Dies at 61; Lawyer Led the Explorers Club |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/15/archives/edward-c-sweeney-dies-at-61-lawyer-led-the-explorers-club.html |work=New York Times |date=August 15, 1967 |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 27, 2023}}</ref> |- | 25 || 1967 || 1971 || Walter Wood |- | 26 || 1971 || 1973 || Hobart Van Dressen |- | 27 || 1973 || 1975 || Russell Gurnee |- | 28 || 1975 || 1976 || E. Lovell Becker |- | 29 || 1976 || 1978 || Virgil Kauffman |- | 30 || 1978 || 1981 || Charles Brush |- | 31 || 1981 || 1985 || George V.B. Cochran |- | 32 || 1985 || 1987 || John Levinson |- | 33 || 1987 || 1989 || John Bruno |- | 34 || 1989 || 1991 || Nicholas Sullivan |- | 35 || 1991 || 1993 || David Swanson |- | 36 || 1993 || 1996 || John Loret |- | 37 || 1996 || 2000 || Alfred S. McLaren |- | 38 || 2000 || 2002 || Faanya Rose |- | 39 || 2002 || 2006 || Richard Wiese |- | 40 || 2006 || 2009 || Daniel Bennett |- | 41 || 2009 || 2012 || Lorie Karnath<ref name="Ross2014">{{cite book|last=Ross|first=Michael Elsohn |title=A World of Her Own: 24 Amazing Women Explorers and Adventurers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EPHQAgAAQBAJ&pg=PR10|access-date=February 13, 2015|date= 2014|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-61374-441-3|page=10}}</ref> |- | 42 || 2012 || 2015 || Alan Nichols |- | 43 || 2015 || 2018 || Ted Janulis<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://explorers.org//news/news_detail/the_explorers_club_elects_ted_janulis_as_43rd_club_president |title="The Explorers Club Elects Ted Janulis as 43rd Club President" |access-date=April 14, 2015 |archive-date=May 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530120444/https://explorers.org/news/news_detail/the_explorers_club_elects_ted_janulis_as_43rd_club_president |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | 44 || 2018 || 2021 || Richard Wiese<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://explorers.org/news/news_detail/richard_wiese_elected_44th_president_of_the_explorers_club |title=Wiese Elected 44th President of The Explorers Club" |access-date=March 21, 2018 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403002351/https://explorers.org/news/news_detail/richard_wiese_elected_44th_president_of_the_explorers_club |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | 45 || 2021 || 2025 || Richard Garriott<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210913150931/https://explorers.org/news/news_detail/richard-garriott-elected-45th-president-of-the-explorers-club "Richard Garriott Elected 45th President of The Explorers Club"]</ref> |- | 46 || 2025 || 2026 || Richard Wiese<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.explorers.org/richard-wiese-elected-president-of-the-explorers-club/ |title=Richard Wiese Elected President of The Explorers Club |access-date=January 13, 2025 }}</ref> |- | 47 || 2026 || || Barbara Doran<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=February 2, 2026 |title=Barbara Doran Elected Explorers Club President |url=https://www.explorers.org/president-2026/ |website=The Explorers Club |location=New York City |publisher= |access-date=March 27, 2026}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.explorers.org/}} *[http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-stephen-c-clark-mansion-nos-42-46.html Architectural essay] on the East 70th Street Headquarters
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Explorers Club}} Category:Organizations established in 1904 Category:1904 establishments in New York City Category:Organizations based in New York (state) Category:Clubs and societies in New York City Category:Clubs and societies in Manhattan Category:Culture of Manhattan Category:Upper East Side Category:International professional associations *