George Borup

George Brandreth Borup (September 2, 1885 – April 28, 1912) was an American explorer, paleontologist and curator. He is best known for his service in 1908-1909 with senior explorer Robert Peary, during which he assisted Peary’s march over a portion of the Arctic Ocean.

Biography

Early life Borup was born in Ossining, New York, the grandson of George Brandreth and the brother of Yvette Borup Andrews. After majoring in geology, he graduated from Yale College in 1907.

North Pole expedition Borup applied for and, with Peary’s assent, earned a space in the United States polar explorer’s SS Roosevelt. This icebreaker would be the base of Peary’s expedition northward to Nares Strait and the adjacent Ellesmere Island, which Peary hoped would be a jumping-off point for his goal, the North Pole.

After a year’s delay associated with this tragedy, the Crocker Land Expedition headed north under MacMillan in 1913, only to find that the “land” was a mirage.

Legacy The Crocker Land Expedition mapped and named a large Ellesmere Island bay, Borup Fjord, after the dead explorer. Subsequently, Borup Island, off far northern Greenland, was also named in his honor.

Yvette Borup Andrews accepted the Peary Polar Expedition Medal in silver on behalf of her brother in 1945.