Exploring the North Pole in Style

Matthew Henson

Alex Grant Explorers Society presents: Exploring the North Pole in Style featuring Matthew Henson and Herbert Frisby, the first two African Americans to accomplish such a feat.

In 1909, Commander Robert E. Peary mounted his eighth attempt to reach the North Pole, selecting Henson to be one of the team of six who would make the final run to the Pole. Before the goal was reached, Peary could no longer continue on foot and rode in a dog sled. Various accounts say he was ill, exhausted, or had frozen toes. In any case, he sent Henson on ahead as a scout. In a newspaper interview Henson said: “I was in the lead that had overshot the mark a couple of miles. We went back then and I could see that my footprints were the first at the spot. Henson then proceeded to plant the American flag.  - wiki

Herbert Frisby

Herbert Frisby (1886-1983) read about explorer Matthew Henson and his Arctic expedition with Lt. Robert Peary, and Frisby became determined to be the second African American to reach the North Pole. On April 12, 1956, he fulfilled his dream by depositing a plaque commemorating Henson's first trip. Frisby made over 22 missions to the Polar region, something he said he was driven to do simply because, he said, "a Negro isn't suppose to be interested in such things."

Frisby's coat is on display at the Banneker - Douglas Museum in Annapolis Md.

Editor's Note: No club is official until it has its own logo so I want to thank Christine Mitchell of N'East Style for designing the Alex Grant Explorers Society patch.