Edward Murray East (1879 to 1938) was an American plant geneticist, botanist and agronomist known for experiments that led to the development of hybrid corn. Working at Harvard University's Bussey Institute, he performed a key experiment showing the outcome of crosses between lines that differ in a quantitative trait; he was also an outspoken advocate of eugenics and of concern about environmental and population limits, positions later scholars have assessed very differently, some reading his population thinking as eugenics applied globally and others as driven chiefly by environmental concern.
Facts
Defining ContributionConducted plant-breeding experiments on inbred maize lines and their crosses at Harvard's Bussey Institute that established the scientific basis for hybrid corn. 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Edward Murray East (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph, first sentence
Edward Murray East (October 4, 1879, November 9, 1938) was an American plant geneticist, botanist, agronomist and eugenicist.
lead paragraph, second sentence
He is known for his experiments that led to the development of hybrid corn and his support of 'forced' elimination of the 'unfit' based on eugenic findings.
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