Roger Tomlinson

Roger Tomlinson

Roger Frank Tomlinson (17 November 1933 – 7 February 2014) was an English-Canadian geographer and the primary originator of modern geographic information systems (GIS), and has been acknowledged as the "father of GIS."

Quotes

• The word “geography” is not going to go away. It has been in use for hundreds (some would say thousands) of years…It is clear to me that the overall process is that of earth description; in short, it is geography. It has been demonstrated beyond any refutation that geography matters in human decision making.
  • Quote attributed to Tomlinson in the AAG memorial for Roger Tomlinson.

Quotes about Roger Tomlinson

• Roger has brought great distinction to our field by defining the basic and essential vision that GIS is both an extension of geographic science and a practical way to apply geographic knowledge to a whole world of applications. His work over the last three decades has also defined our field as a kind of profession with formal methodology for designing and implementing systems. Finally, Roger always makes me realize that GIS must first and foremost be focused on providing information that really matters (maps, reports, etc.) and that improves our sciences, processes, and decision making.
  • Quote attributed to ESRI CEO Jack Dangermond in the AAG memorial for Roger Tomlinson.