East, Edward Murray

East, Edward Murray, 1879-1938, American biologist, b. Du Quoin, Ill., grad. Univ. of Illinois (B.S., 1900; Ph.D., 1907). He served the agricultural experiment stations at the Univ. of Illinois and in Connecticut, and from 1909 he was professor of experimental plant morphology and of genetics at Harvard. His researches—in part for the Dept. of Agriculture—on the genetics and breeding of corn, tobacco, and potatoes were especially valuable; he was instrumental in revolutionizing American corn growing by applying inbred strain breeding. His works include Mankind at the Crossroads (1923) and Heredity and Human Affairs (1927); he contributed to and edited Biology in Human Affairs (1931).

(born Oct. 4, 1879, Du Quoin, Ill., U.S.—died Nov. 9, 1938, Boston, Mass.) U.S. plant geneticist, agronomist, and chemist. He finished high school at age 15 and received an M.S. in 1904. He was particularly interested in determining and controlling the protein and fat content of corn, both of which significantly influence its value as animal feed. His research, with that of George Harrison Shull, led to the development of modern-day hybrid corn. Commercial production of hybrid seed corn was made possible by the work of his student Donald F. Jones (1890–1963). East's work helped make possible studies in the field of population genetics.

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James Edward Murray (May 3 1876 – March 23 1961) was a United States Senator from Montana, and a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the United States Senate from 1934 until 1961.

Born on a farm near St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Murray graduated from St. Jerome's College in Berlin, Ontario in 1897. He came to the United States in 1897, settled in Butte, Montana, and was naturalized in 1900. He graduated from the law department of New York University in 1900, was admitted to the bar in 1901, and commenced practice in Butte, where he also engaged in banking.

Murray was county attorney of Silver Bow County, Montana from 1906 to 1908, and became chairman of the State advisory board of the Public Works Administration from 1933 to 1934. He was elected on November 6 1934 as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas J. Walsh. He was reelected several times and served from November 7 1934 to January 3 1961. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1960.

Murray served as chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Labor-Management Relations, chairman of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, and also served on the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Murray died in Butte less than 3 months after leaving office and was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery.

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Mr. Smith goes to Washington

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