Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore

Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore

Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore (1856–1928) was an American journalist and travel writer who wrote books on Alaska, Japan, Java, China and India. She was the first woman on the board of the National Geographic Society. She introduced the idea of planting Japanese cherry trees in Washington, D.C., a vision that became a reality in 1912.