Wilson Popenoe

Frederick Wilson Popenoe (March 9, 1892 – June 20, 1975) was an American Department of Agriculture employee and plant explorer. From 1916 to 1924, Popenoe explored Latin America to look for new strains of avocados. He reported his adventures to the National Geographic Society. He went to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1913 and became the chief agronomist of the United Fruit Company in 1925.[1][2]

Frederick Wilson Popenoe
Born(1892-03-09)March 9, 1892
Topeka, Kansas
DiedJune 20, 1975 (1975-06-21) (aged 83)
Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Occupation(s)botanist, agronomist
Known forcados
ParentFred Oliver Popenoe Marion Bowman Popenoe
RelativesPaul Popenoe (brother)

Career

Popenoe attended Pomona College as a special student for one year.[3]: 8  Afterwards, he worked for the United Fruit Company, where he became the first director of the Panamerican Agricultural School, Zamorano in Honduras. Popenoe won numerous awards and received three honorary doctorates, from: Universidad Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru; Pomona College; and the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.[4][5]

Personal life

Popenoe was married to the British archeologist Dorothy Popenoe, who was involved in excavation of the Playa de los Muertos in Honduras. The standard author abbreviation Popenoe is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[6]

His brother was agricultural explorer, eugenicist, and marriage counselor Paul Popenoe.[3]

References
  1. Belasco, Warren and Philip Scranton (2006). Food Nations: Selling Taste in Consumer Societies. Routledge. pp. 136–137. ISBN 0-415-93077-4.
  2. Rosengarten Jr., Frederick (Jul 1992). "Wilson, Popenoe - agricultural explorer, educator, and friend of Latin America". Agricultural History. 66 (3): 105.
  3. Rosengarten, Frederic (1991). Wilson Popenoe: Agricultural Explorer, Educator, and Friend of Latin America. Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii: National Tropical Botanical Garden. ISBN 978-0935868531.
  4. "Wilson Popenoe (1892-1975)". Zamorano.edu. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  5. "Dr. Wilson Popenoe Death Reported". Star-News (Pasadena, California). No. A-8. June 24, 1975.
  6. International Plant Names Index.  Popenoe.
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