John Scott Keltie

John Scott Keltie (March 29, 1840 – January 12, 1927) was a Scottish geographer, best known for his work with the Royal Geographic Society.

Keltie was born in Dundee, and attended school in Perth. He attended the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, and completed a course of study at the Theological Hall of the United Presbyterian Church in Edinburgh, but didn't go into a religious career. He moved to London in 1871 to join Macmillan Publishers, where in 1873 he became sub-editor of the journal "Nature", and began separately to write articles on geography for "The Times". In 1880 he became editor of "The Statesman's Yearbook" for Macmillan.

He joined the Royal Geographic Society in 1883, and quickly became heavily involved in its activities. He was appointed its Inspector of Geographical Education in 1884, and undertook a thorough review of the state of geography education in the UK, producing an influential 150-page report. In 1885 he became the Society's librarian, and upon the death of Henry Walter Bates in 1892, succeeded him as Assistant Secretary of the Society (in effect its Secretary, as the official Secretary was a figurehead from the nobility). Among his first tasks was the relaunching of the "Proceedings of the Royal Geographic Society" as the "Geographical Journal" in 1893, in order to appeal to a wider audience. He was officially given the title of Secretary in 1896.

Keltie retired as Secretary of the Society in 1915 and was succeeded by Arthur Robert Hinks, though he remained as joint editor (with Hinks) of the "Geographical Journal" until 1917. He was presented the Society's Victoria Medal in 1917, and was knighted in 1918. He died in London in 1927.

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