Previous ed. 1979.

Includes index.

Bibliography

Obituary below appeared in the Washington Post On Inauguration Day 2009.

Morris M. Thompson Civil Engineer Morris M. Thompson, 96, a civil engineer who served with the U.S. Geological Survey's Topographic Division for 56 years, died of congestive heart failure Jan. 6 at Greenspring Village retirement community in Springfield, where he lived.He was known in the mapping profession for his work as Atlantic region engineer and as chief of the Office of Research and Technical Standards, and as the editor and author of numerous books, including "Maps for America" (1979), which was republished twice.Mr. Thompson was born in Jersey City, the fifth of six children of immigrants from Belarus. He was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Princeton University.In 1939, he joined the U.S. Geological Survey in Chattanooga, Tenn., as a junior engineer on a project to map the Tennessee Valley watershed using aerial photography. During World War II, he remained in Tennessee and helped map strategic areas and invasion routes in Europe and Asia for the War Department.After the war, Mr. Thompson was assigned to the Office of Research and Technical Control at the Topographic Division's headquarters in Washington.He helped revamp the methods and equipment used for photogrammetric mapping. He was the author and top editor of numerous technical articles concerning these new developments.He received the Interior Department's Distinguished Service Award in 1967 and retired in 1975.Throughout his career, Mr. Thompson was active in the professional societies pertaining to mapmaking. As a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he served as chair of the Surveying and Mapping Division and received the society's Surveying and Mapping Award for 1977.In the American Society of Photogrammetry, he was publications committee chairman and received awards for authorship and outstanding achievement in photogrammetry.Mr. Thompson was also a board member and past president of Beth El Hebrew Congregation, a reform synagogue in Alexandria. After moving to Greenspring from Vienna in 1999, he chaired the Jewish Residents Council from its inception until 2007.His wife of 68 years, Sophia Thompson, died in 2004.Survivors include a son, Robert Thompson of Atlanta; a sister; and two grandchildren.