Professor William James Beal (11 March 1833–12 May 1924)

American botanist and teacher. Beal studied under Louis Agassiz and Asa Gray at Harvard University and went on to lecture in botany at the University of Chicago, 1868-71 and at Michigan Agricultural College, 1871-1910 where he was professor of botany, and curator of the museum (1882-1903) and founded the W J Beal Botanical Garden. He also served as director of the state Forestry Commission (1889-1892). Beal was a pioneer in the development of hybrid corn and in 1879 started on of the world's longest running botanical experiments concerning seed germination which is not due to conclude until 2100. Beal died in retirement at Amherst, Massachusetts.