ial ▁photograph er ▁and ▁expl orer . ▁He ir ▁to ▁the ▁Up j ohn ▁Company ▁fortune , ▁she ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁in ▁aer ial ▁circles ▁for ▁her ▁ 3 5 , 0 0 0 - mile ▁( 5 6 , 0 0 0   km ) ▁flight ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 – 1 9 3 8 , ▁during ▁which ▁she ▁photograph ed ▁un pre ced ented ▁images ▁of ▁South ▁America ▁and ▁Africa . ▁Her ▁African ▁photograph s ▁were ▁later ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁F ocus ▁on ▁Africa . ▁In ▁her ▁later ▁years , ▁she ▁also ▁became ▁known ▁in ▁her ▁native ▁Kal am az oo , ▁Michigan , ▁for ▁her ▁phil anth ropy ▁to ▁Western ▁Michigan ▁University , ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan , ▁and ▁various ▁Kal am az oo ▁char ities . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Mary ▁M ead er ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁William ▁Harold ▁Up j ohn ▁and ▁Grace ▁Gene v ieve ▁B ray ▁Up j ohn ▁in ▁Kal am az oo , ▁Michigan ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁a ▁grand child ▁of ▁Dr . ▁W . ▁E . ▁Up j ohn , ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁Up j ohn ▁Company . ▁M ead er ▁major ed ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁Spanish ▁at ▁Smith ▁College . ▁She ▁left ▁the ▁college ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁a ▁marriage ▁to ▁the ▁neu ros ur geon ▁Richard ▁Up j ohn ▁Light , ▁a ▁first ▁cousin ▁of ▁hers . ▁Since ▁the ▁two ▁could ▁not ▁leg ally