Catherine Hayes Bailey (May 9, 1921 – March 29, 2014) was an American
plant geneticist A plant geneticist is a scientist involved with the study of genetics in botany. Typical work is done with genes in order to isolate and then develop certain plant traits. Once a certain trait, such as plant height, fruit sweetness, or tolerance to ...
known for developing new varieties of fruit. She was honored by the National Peach Council for her contributions to the US peach industry.
Early life and education
Bailey was born in
New Brunswick, New Jersey; her father was superintendent for the Rutgers Vegetable Farm.
She received her
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
from
Douglass College
Douglass Residential College, is an undergraduate, non degree granting higher education program of Rutgers University-New Brunswick for women. It succeeded the liberal arts degree-granting Douglass College after it was merged with the other und ...
in 1942. She worked with Rutgers horticulturist
Maurice Blake, and ran his stone-fruit growing program until 1948. Encouraged by Blake she entered the Ph. D. program at Rutgers University, and graduated in 1957 with a dissertation on aspects of growing peach cultivars.
[ Bailey was a Baptist,][ and had also attended ]Prairie Bible Institute
Prairie College is an interdenominational Christian College located in the town of Three Hills, Alberta. Founded as Prairie Bible Institute, classes began on October 9, 1922, on the property of the McElheran family farm.
History
A local Bible St ...
in Canada.
Research
After finishing her doctorate, Bailey stayed on at Rutgers as a professor, a position she held until her retirement in 1980. She continued her work in the Rutgers program with Fred Hough, expanding it from growing just peaches and apples and developing nectarine and apricot cultivars;[ during her career she introduced more than 39 new fruit varieties, including many new (patented) apples.] She was particularly known for her work on the genetic inheritance of ripening times.[
]
Honors and awards
Bailey was honored by the National Peach Council for her contributions to the US peach industry.[ She was listed in '']American Men and Women of Science
''American Men and Women of Science'' (the 40th edition was published in 2022) is a biographical reference work on leading scientists in the United States and Canada, published as a series of books and online by Gale. The first edition was publish ...
'' in the 1992-1993 edition. She was a member of several professional societies, including the International Society for Horticultural Science
The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) is the world's leading independent organization of horticultural scientists. Its aim is "to promote and encourage research and education in all branches of horticultural science and to fa ...
, the American Society for Horticultural Science Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science in Alexandria, Virginia is "the largest, most visible organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application."
The ASHS's purpose is to pr ...
, and the American Pomological Society
The American Pomological Society was founded by Marshall Pinckney Wilder in 1848, to foster the growing of fruit and the development of new varieties, and is the oldest fruit organization in North America.
Publications
The organization's primary ...
.[
]
Personal life and death
Bailey was unmarried and lived with her parents until their death. After retirement she moved to Vermont,[ where she died on March 29, 2014.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Catherine Hayes
American geneticists
1921 births
2014 deaths
American women botanists
20th-century American botanists
American women geneticists
People from New Brunswick, New Jersey
20th-century American women scientists
American expatriates in Canada
Scientists from New Jersey
Plant geneticists