i, 

Leonard Holden Vaughan 
Born March 8, 1880. Died ee 11, 1943. 
Leonard Holden Vaughan, 
President of Vaughan’s Seed 
Store, died on September 11, 
1943. He had been President 
since 1924, when he suc- 
ceeded his father, John 
Charles Vaughan, who 
founded the business in 1876. 
Born in Chicago in 1880, 
Mr. Vaughan was educated 
in the Chicago public schools, 
and in Armour Institute Acad- 
emy, from which he graduated 
in 1899. After six months in 
the University of Chicago, he 
was enrolled in the depart- 
ment of horticulture of Cornell 
University, during the period 
of Prof. Liberty H. Bailey's 
active teaching. He was grad- 
uated in 1903 and at once 
entered the business. 
After a training period he 
was placed in charge of the 
vegetable seed and green- 
house departments, and soon 
instituted and managed exten- 
sive seed and bulb growing 
operations, in which he took 
great interest, and which were 
constantly expanded during 
his life. 
When he became President, 
he was thus equipped with 
thorough scientific training 
and twenty-one years’ active 
participation in the business. 
Following the example of his father, he devoted much time to 
furthering the interests of horticulture. He was President of the 
American Seed Trade Associationin 1911, of the Society of Ameri- 
can Florists in 1929, and of the Illinois State Florists’ Association 
in 1941 and 1942. He was constantly active on committees of 
many organizations and just before his death, had been appointed 
a member of a committee of the seed trade to work with the O.P.A. 
on price ceilings. He was also interested in outside community 
activities, having been amember ofthe Lyons Township High School 
Board for nineteen years and president of that School Board for 
four years. 
His interest in bulb growing, first concentrated on Gladioli, led 
him to undertake extensive experiments in commercial produc- 
tion of Tulip and Lily bulbs, which had never been successful in 
this country. When war interrupted imports from Holland and 
Japan, he had built up the largest tulip production in this country 
which thereupon became available for American use. Our Lily 
bulb production was also well under way in Louisiana and Oregon. 
In 1904 Mr. Vaughan married Anita Wilkens, who survives 
with six sons and one daughter. His sons are John Charles Vaughan; 
Leonard H. Vaughan, Jr.; Gager Throop Vaughan; Lieut. Alan W. 
Vaughan, U.S. Army; Ensign Warren L. Vaughan of the U.S. Coast 
Guard; and Ensign Edward H. Vaughan, U.S. N. His daughter 
is Mrs. G. Raymond Donnersberger. 
Mr. Vaughan was succeeded as President of the company by his 
eldest son, John Charles Vaughan, who, for several years has been 
manager of the New York branch. The new President was graduated 

ment of Cornell University, 
business. 
Other officers are: 
Assistant Secretary 
Treasurer 
Treasurer 
Leonard H. Vaughan, i 
graduate of Cornell, Salta 
sales manager of the company 
in 1938, and continues to per- 
form those duties in addition 
seed and bulb farms. 
in the supervision of other 
departments. : 
Carl Cropp, Vice-President, who has been head of the flower 
seed department of the company for nearly sixty years, continues 
to be active in that position. He is known internationally as a 
specialist in annual and perennial flower seeds, and for several — 
years he has been assisted by his son, Carl V. Cropp. 
Under these directing heads the organization includes the fol- 
lowing, who perform duties in which they were trained during the 
life either of J. C. Vaughan, the founder, or of Leonard H. Veaue 
Edward H. Goldenstein, Manager of Bulb Department. 
R. C. Becker, Manager of Nurseries. 
Scott J. Rediern, Manager of Vegetable Seed Department. 
E. A. Hesket, Credit Manager. 
James H. Burdett, Advertising Manager. : 
John F. Tomezak, Head of Supply and Fertilizer Departments. 
William Stallman, Head of Mail Order Division. 
R. M. Carleton, Manager of Retail Store, Chicago. 
Charles Keegan, Manager New York Branch. ~ 
M. Watson, Flower Seed Manager at New York. 
M. Pettet, Manager Market Gardener Sales. 
L. Thurlimann, Head Seed Analyst. 
Frank E. McFarland, Manager of Greenhouses. 
Vaughan's Seed Store, Inc., operates a retail store at 10 W. 
Randolph St., one of the largest retail seed stores in the United 
States; offices and warehouse which fill the seven story building 
at 601 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago; Nursery and Greenhouse |} 
Departments at Western Springs, Illinois, a retail store and whole- _ 
sale branch at 47-49 Barclay St., New York City; and farms ~ 
from tee horticultural depart- ; : 
and passed several years in 
acquiring experience in seed | 
an bulb productionin various __ 
countries of Europe, and sec- 
tions of this country. He as- — 
sumed charge of the New York _ 
branch in 1930, since when 
he has acquired familiarity — 
with all departments of the — 
Carl Cropp, Vice Presidout 
Carl V. Cropp, Secretary [fr 
Leonard H. Vaughan, Jr., |} 
Drs Roger sulin Vaughan, i 
Gager T. Vaughan, Asst. — Z 
working in various depart-. 
ments for five years, wasmade 
to assuming charge of the | 


Gager T. Vaughan, also. 
trained in the horticultural de- _ 
partment of Cornell Universi- _ 
ty, entered the business in , 
1937, as manager of the grass 
seed department, in which he ~ 
continues, with added duties ~ 
for the production of seeds and bulbs in various sections of the 
United States. 

