Last week, the National Geographic Society honoured two giants of the GIS field — Roger Tomlinson, who practically created GIS in the 1960s while working for the Canadian government, and Jack Dangermond, and ESRI/Esri founder/president/CEO Jack Dangermond — with the Alexander Graham Bell Medal. Awarded for “extraordinary achievement in geographic research,” the medal has only been awarded once before (to Bradford and Barbara Washburn in 1980). See also Gadling.

Previously on Roger Tomlinson: Roger Tomlinson: The Father of GIS; “Data for Decision”: GIS on Punchcards. On Jack Dangermond: Forbes Profiles ESRI.