Collection WJCL - William J C Lawrence

Extent: 4 boxes

Donated by Judith Watts from the collection of the late WJC Lawrence.

From the collection of the late WJC Lawrence: Books on genetics, horticulture and plant breeding; 3 volumes of bound papers by Lawrence entitled 'Lawrence Papers', 1929-1938, 1936-1953 and 1951-1963; set of published books by WJCL; folder of loose papers: 'JIHI, A Brief History' by CD Darlington, untitled paper on the future of horticulture by WJCL, 'Genetics and the JII' by WJCL, misc. papers and photographs; stack of prints glued on paper; misc. booklets.

Admin History: William John Cooper Lawrence (1899-1985) joined the John Innes Institute aged 14 in 1913 as an unpaid garden boy. Between 1917 and 1920 he served with the Royal Engineers. He returned to the JIHI as an exhibitioner before training at Kew as a student gardener for 2 years, going on to work in the Kew Herbarium. Encouraged by Morley Benjamin Crane he rejoined the JIHI in 1924, working with Crane on fruit research, later becoming Head of the Department of Physiology and Plant Culture and Curator to the Institute in 1932. Alongside John Newell he invented the formula for the John Innes Compost in the 1930s. His research included genetical work on the Dahlia and Streptocarpus, plant growth in different environments using the tomato and work on the development of scientific standard glasshouses and growth rooms at Merton and Bayfordbury. He was encouraged by Bateson to work on the inheritance of flower colours in Dahlia and later in Streptocarpus, producing valuable insights into the origin, constitution and genetics of horticultural plants. He served for a time as acting director and retired from Institute in 1963. He was awarded the VHM in 1951 and an OBE in 1955.