William J. Beal

William James Beal (March 11, 1833 - May 12, 1924), was an American botanist.

Beal was born in Adrian, Michigan, to William and Rachel (Comstock) Beal, and he married Hannah Proud in 1863. He attended the University of Michigan, which gave him an A.B. degree in 1859 and an A.M. degree in 1862; he also received an S.B. degree from Harvard University, 1865, an M.S. degree from the University of Chicago, 1875, and a number of honorary degrees.

He served as professor of botany at the University of Chicago in 1868-70, then went on to Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University), where he was a professor of botany (1871-1910), and curator of the museum (1882-1903). He also served as director of the state Forestry Commission (1889-1892).

Beal was the founder of MSU's W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, the oldest continuously operated botanical garden in the United States. He was one of the pioneers in the development of hybrid corn. He was the author of "The New Botany", "Grasses of North America", and "History of Michigan Agricultural College".

In 1887, he and Professor Rolla C. Carpenter created "Collegeville", the first neighborhood in what later became East Lansing.

He retired to Amherst, Massachusetts, and died there in 1924.

Quotation

"Merely learning the name of a plant or parts of a plant can no longer be palmed off as valuable training."

References

* "Who Was Who in America", 1897-1942
* W. J. Beal, "History of Michigan Agricultural College", 1913

External links

* [http://www.bpp.msu.edu/history/html/bealgard.html Photo of W.J. Beal] (circa 1920)
* [http://www.givingto.msu.edu/beal.html William James Beal Society] (for donors of at least $10,000 to Michigan State University)
* [http://anthropology.msu.edu/saints_rest_gallery/explore/fp_bealbotanical.html William J. Beal and the Botanical Garden]
* [http://anthropology.msu.edu/saints_rest_gallery/explore/fp_cowleshouse.html Cowles House] (home of W. J. Beal, now the MSU president's house)