A high mountain, provisionally known as "Vinson", was long suspected to be in this part of West Antarctica,[why?][by whom?] but it was not actually seen until January 1958, when it was spotted by US Navy aircraft from Byrd Station. It was named after Carl Vinson, United States Representative from Georgia who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research.[1] The first measurement of the Vinson Massif was established in 1959 at the elevation of 5,140 m (16,864 ft).[1]