George H. M. Lawrence
(1889 - 1983)
The Cornell Connection: Lawrence received his doctorate degree from Cornell University and then joined the Bailey Hortorium staff. He was Professor of Botany from 1946-1951 and became Director of the Hortorium, which he served in that role until 1960.
George H. M. Lawrence attended the University of Rhode Island where he received both a bachelor's degree and master's degree. He received his doctorate degree from Cornell University and then joined the Bailey Hortorium staff. Lawrence was Professor of Botany from 1946-1951 at which time he became Director of the Hortorium. He served in that role until 1960, when he left to become the Director of the Hunt Botanical Library at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
As a plant taxonomist, Lawrence studied Armeria, in addition to other plants, and contributed many articles to the Hortorium's journals, Baileya and Gentes Herbarum. It was under Lawrence's supervision that the journal, Baileya, was first conceived. His most notable reference works were Introduction to Plant Taxonomy and Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. The latter is still a standard text for students of systematic botany today.
George Lawrence oversaw the transition of the Bailey Hortorium from its longtime home at Sage Place to its new facilties in Mann Library. The move occurred in 1954 and provided the Hortorium with a centrally located space on campus.
For further information please see:
Obituary. 1978. News Release, Carnegie-Mellon University, #87-78.