By his travels and his publications, Hooker built up a high scientific reputation at home. In 1855 he was appointed Assistant-Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and in 1865 he succeeded his father as Director, holding the post for twenty years. Under the Hookers, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew rose to world renown. At the age of thirty, Hooker was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1873 he was chosen as its President (until 1877). He received three of its medals: the Royal Medal in 1854, the Copley Medal in 1887 and the Darwin Medal in 1892. He continued to intersperse work at Kew with foreign exploration and collecting. His journeys to Palestine, Morocco and the United States all produced valuable information and specimens for Kew.