5o6 
RAYMOND J. POOL 
''put out to live" with James McKinly and wife, an estimable couple 
who had also migrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio. This young 
lady was sent by her foster parents to a school which happened to 
be taught by Adnah Bessey, and some time later (1841) teacher and 
pupil were married. Adnah Bessey and Margaret EUenberger Bessey 
were the parents of Charles Edwin Bessey, who was born in a log 
house on a farm in Milton Township, Wayne County, Ohio, May 21, 
1845. Much of the early education of Charles, the boy, was received 
under the direct attention and supervision of Adnah, the father. 
In his seventeenth year he received a certificate to teach school. He 
did not teach at that time, however, as he had made all arrangements 
to enter the academy at Seville (Ohio) in order to fit himself for 
college. His educational training was interrupted soon after this by 
his father's ill health, but even then he attended the district school 
and studied algebra by himself. His father died in 1863 and that 
fall Charles attended the academy for five weeks. He then began 
teaching at Wadsworth, Ohio, where he remained for a term of four 
months. Following this (March, 1864) he again entered the academy 
where he studied for two months, when the breaking up of the school 
precipitated another halt in the young man's educational career. 
After several years of broken but persistent preparation in the 
country school and academy young Bessey entered the freshman 
class of Michigan Agricultural College in July, 1866. He completed 
his college course at the age of twenty-four and graduated from the 
college with the degree of bachelor of science, November 10, 1869. 
When Bessey entered the college he firmly intended to return 
home to follow the profession of civil engineering or surveying. But 
he came to love the plants of the fields and forests. Finally his 
marked attention to such things became noticeable to others; for, 
after two years or so in college, the President (Abbott) and some of 
the professors (especially Prentiss) advised him to specialize in botany. 
At first the advice was rejected. But after weeks of reflection the 
young man found that his inclination had changed from engineering 
to botany. 
Immediately after graduation Bessey was awarded an assistant- 
ship in horticulture and was placed in charge of the greenhouse at the 
Michigan Agricultural College. This position was held for a very 
short time because in December of that year (1869) the offer of an 
instructorship in botany and horticulture came from the Iowa State 
