W. J. Beal

William James Beal (March 11, 1833 – May 12, 1924) was an American botanist. He was a pioneer in the development of hybrid corn and the founder of the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden.

Biography

Beal was born in Adrian, Michigan, to William and Rachel (Comstock) Beal, His parents were pioneering Quaker settlers/farmers from New York state. Beal grew up in forested land surrounded by native plant and animal life. He married Hannah Proud in 1863. He retired to Amherst, Massachusetts, and died there in 1924.

Education

He attended the University of Michigan, where he earned an A.B. degree in 1859 and an A.M. degree biology in 1862; he also received an S.B. in botany degree from Harvard University, 1865, an M.S. degree in biology from the University of Chicago, 1875, and a number of honorary degrees.

Between 1858 and 1861 he was a teacher of Natural Sciences at Friends Academy at Union Springs, New York.

Research at the Michigan Agricultural College

After briefly serving as professor of botany at the University of Chicago in 1868–70, Beal went on to Michigan Agricultural College (MAC, now Michigan State University), where he was professor of botany (1871–1910) and curator of the botanical museum (1882–1905). During his tenure he also served as professor of horticulture (1872–1882) and professor of forestry (1882–1902). While at MAC, he arranged for Liberty Hyde Bailey to work as an assistant to Asa Gray at Harvard University for two years during 1883–1884. He also served as co-director of the state Forestry Commission (1889–1892). He was a key leader of the experimental movement of agricultural botany at the college.