Trump's celebration of American greatness puts a spotlight on a little-known panel of experts
Trump's celebration of American greatness puts a spotlight on a little-known panel of experts
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Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate American greatness and to recognize those who have made contributions throughout history. He jumpstarted the effort by ordering the name of North America’s tallest peak to be changed from Denali back to Mount McKinley in honor of the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley. He also called on the U.S. Interior Department to work with Alaska Natives and others to adopt names for other landmarks that would honor their history and culture.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names will play a role. The little known panel made up of officials from several federal agencies has been in existence since 1890. How did the board get its start?. As more settlers and prospectors headed west following the American Civil War, it became apparent the federal government needed some kind of consistency for referencing landmarks on maps and in official documents.
In comes President Benjamin Harrison. He issued an executive order establishing the board in hopes of resolving some of the confusion. President Theodore Roosevelt took it further in 1906, making the board responsible for standardizing geographic names for use across the federal government. That included changing names for some spots and identifying unnamed features.
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