The National Atlas of the United States of America

Arch C. Gerlach describes the preparation and planned contents of The National Atlas of the United States of America. He traces its antecedents through the American Geographical Society’s 1952 prototype and approximately 80 loose-leaf map sheets produced under a National Academy of Sciences committee in 1955–1961. The need for more orderly contents, consistent quality and centralized distribution led to transfer of responsibility to the U.S. Geological Survey. Established in fiscal 1963, the project surveyed prospective users, reviewed existing atlases and recommendations, and prepared contents and standard plotting bases; funding cuts suspended it in fiscal 1964 before its reactivation in 1965. Federal agencies and other contributors would supply material, while the Survey would handle scribing, reproduction and distribution. The planned volume exceeded 400 pages, including 45 pages of sectional reference maps and about 300 pages of thematic maps covering physical geography, history, economic and social conditions, administrative divisions and mapping coverage. Gerlach also outlines a detailed index, source references, adhesive binding informed by user preferences, separate map sales and continuing revision. Bound-volume completion was targeted for late 1967.