Background
He was the son of another famous botanist, Charles Edwin Bessey. Bessey was born in Ames, Iowa, where his father was professor of botany at Iowa Agricultural College.
He was the son of another famous botanist, Charles Edwin Bessey. Bessey was born in Ames, Iowa, where his father was professor of botany at Iowa Agricultural College.
Bachelor of Arts, University Nebraska, 1896, Bachelor of Science, 1897, Master of Arts, 1898. U. Halle, Germany, 1902-1904, Doctor of Philosophy, 1904. Munich, 1904.
Botanical collector for New York Botanical Garden in Montana and Yellowstone Park, 1897, for unites states department of Agriculture in Colorado, 1898. Assistant in botany Colorado Summer School, Colorado Springs, 1894, 95, 96, assistant pathologist, Division Vegetable Physiology and Pathology, 1899-1901, assistant in charge of seed an dplant introduction, 1901-1902, agricultural explorer in Russia, the Caucasus, Turkestan and Algeria, 1902-1904, pathologist bureau of Plant Industry, 1904-1905, in charge Subtropical Laboratory and Garden of United States Department of Agriculture at Miami, Florida, 1906-1908. Professor botany and bacteriology, Louisiana State University, 1908-1910.
Professor botany Michigan State College, 1910-1945, distinguished professor botany, 1945-1946, retired 1946, acting dean applied science division, 1927-1930, dean graduate school, 1930-1944.
Visiting professor botany U. Hawaii, 1939-1940.
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Member Botanical Society American, Torrey Botanical. Club, American Phytopath.
Society, Mycological Society American (president 1941), Michigan Academy Sciences (president 1915-1916), Deutsche Botan Gesell, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Alpha Zeta, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Sigma.
Married Edith Carleton Higgins, July 25, 1906. Children: Bertha Agnes, William Higgins, Robert John.