Prof. William Webster B. Hayes

Prof. William Webster B. Hayes born on March 14, 1900 at Pasadena, California, USA, graduated from Oregon State College in 1921. He then moved to India as a missionary and was assigned to teach Horticulture at the Agricultural Institute, Naini, Allahabad (presently known as Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Science and Technology). He was author of the famous book ‘Fruit Growing in India’ published in 1945, and did a pioneering work on upliftment of Indian Horticulture. He was closely associated with the Horticultural Society of India right from 1942, where he was the Founder Member and Councilor till 1947. He held position of President of the society in 1951. He was a great explorer of plant genetic material and travelled extensively through the country to collect better varieties of different fruit crops. He collected several exotic fruit varieties, which still are enriching the fruit wealth of India.

The Department of Horticulture at SHUAST was established soon after the B.Sc. (Ag.) degree (two years) programme was approved by the University of Allahabad in 1932 under his guidance. Besides teaching and research activities, he gave much emphasis on extension activities related to scientific fruit growing and its fundamental principles.

During his tenure much of the scientific annual meetings of the society were held and timely elections and publication of the journal was undertaken. Several landmark decisions were taken during his presidentship. It was in 1951, when the first systematic Annual General Body Meeting of the society was held at New Delhi after shifting of the Headquarters at New Delhi from Layallpur (Pakistan) and also the Society got registered on 6th November, 1951.

He died on August 20, 1957 after brief illness.