Kenneth Weaver
Kenneth Franklin Weaver (November 29, 1915 – September 20, 2010) enjoyed a substantial 33-year career as a writer for the National Geographic Magazine. His prolific tenure with National Geographic produced articles encompassing a range of subjects until he retired as Senior Science Editor in 1985. Career In 1952, Weaver was hired at The National Geographic in the legends department. "Legends" were, in fact, the captions that accompanied the innovative, often exotic photography that the Geographic pioneered at that time. Weaver's work was widely viewed, as the majority of Geographic subscribers primarily opened the magazine to peruse the pictures. Within the legends department, Weaver thrived, and he was quickly promoted to Staff Writer. His first Geographic article, entitled "Rip Van Winkle of the Underground: North America's Much Misunderstood Insect, the Periodical Cicada, Emerges After 17 Years in the Earth for a Fling in the Sun", was published in July 1953. Weaver's career is particularly notable for his coverage of the NASA space program, when he authored titles including "Countdown for Space" in May 1961, "And Now to Touch the Moon's Forbidding Face", May 1969, and "Journey to Mars", February 1973. Weaver's articles were translated in many languages, bringing together people whose