East, Edward Murray, 1879–1938, American biologist, b. Du Quoin, Ill., grad. Univ. of Illinois (B.S., 1900; Ph.D., 1907). He served the agricultural experiment stations at the Univ. of Illinois and in Connecticut, and from 1909 he was professor of experimental plant morphology and of genetics at Harvard. His researches—in part for the Dept. of Agriculture—on the genetics and breeding of corn, tobacco, and potatoes were especially valuable; he was instrumental in revolutionizing American corn growing by applying inbred strain breeding. His works include Mankind at the Crossroads (1923) and Heredity and Human Affairs (1927); he contributed to and edited Biology in Human Affairs (1931).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Botany: Biographies
