Gilbert H. Grosvenor was the moving creative and administrative force behind the successful evolution of the National Geographic Magazine. As editor of the magazine from 1903 until 1954, when he turned the editorial post over to his son, Gilbert Grosvenor established standards for content and production that have yielded a magazine with such stature and audience appeal that many subscribers steadfastly refuse to discard their old copies. Early years of the magazine were beset by financial and philosophical problems fostered by a contentious board of trustees. It is widely accepted that the strong-willed Grosvenor, almost single-handedly, was responsible for shaping the image and style of this magazine, now recognized as an American institution.

Gilbert Grosvenor was born--along with a twin brother, Edwin--to Edwin Augustus Grosvenor, a professor of European history at the American-sponsored Robert College in Constantinople, Turkey, and Lillian Hovey Waters Grosvenor. With only a brief interruption during the...