Bartlett, Robert

Bartlett, Robert (Abram)

(1875–1946) explorer; born in Brigus, Newfoundland, Canada. He began his Arctic explorations in 1897 and captained Robert E. Peary's ship Roosevelt twice (1905–06, 1908–09). He became a U.S. citizen in 1911 and a lieutenant commander in the U.S. naval reserves (1920). He commanded the Karluk on Stefansson's expedition (1913–14) and when it was frozen and crushed in the Arctic ice, he walked across the ice to Siberia and returned with rescuers for 13 other members of the expedition. He headed expeditions to various Arctic locations (1925–41), and was especially noted for his scientific work on Greenland. During World War II, he searched for sites for Allied naval bases in the Arctic.