Harry V. Harlan

It was on this day in 1924 that botanist Harry V. Harlan gave a presentation to the Science Club at Kansas State University about his Plant Exploration and travels in North Africa.

Harlan made the trip by mule caravan over 59 days. In some villages, Harlan was the first English-speaking person ever to visit. Harlan returned to the states with over 600 varieties of plants.
During his life. Harlan organized a school of agriculture in the Philippines. He worked for the USDA and was the Principal Agronomist in charge of barley. Harlan went on many Plant Expeditions around the globe.
The University of Illinois has a black and white photo of a young, handsome Harlan - looking a little Indiana Jones-ish. The photo was taken just before a trip to Ethiopia. The image was used as the headshot for his book One Man's Life With Barley(1957).