GEORGE J. WILDS, JR. 
1889-1951 
In the passing of George J. Wilds, Jr., on October 26, 1951, the South has 
lost a great scientist and we have lost a friend. 
In 1908, when 19 years old, he became plant breeding assistant to David 
R. Coker. Since then he followed his calling with boundless energy and 
enthusiasm and with outstanding success. The history of his work is the 
history of plant breeding in the Southeast. He studied with the great 
teachers of genetics at Cornell University and prepared himself to under- 
stand and interpret Nature’s laws, which became under his imagination 
his actual tools. 
When in 1920 the coming of the boll weevil ended the planting of late 
maturing varieties of cotton, Dr. Wilds was well along with the development 
of early maturing varieties suitable for boll weevil conditions. Later he 
developed disease resistant varieties, and Coker’s 100 Wilt is the standard 
cotton of the Southeast today. 
His small grain work, begun in 1908, resulted in the development of the 
outstanding disease resistant varieties of rye, wheat, and oats now planted 
in the Southeast. 
He had the unique gift of being able to put his findings in science into 
economic progress. Better seeds brought better incomes in agriculture. 
He was recognized by scholars and by farmers as a great builder and 
leader, who kept service to humanity as his guiding thought. He was so 
honest, so simple, and so enthusiastic that men immediately trusted him 
and his very nature sold his ideas. 
He was internationally known as a great Plant Breeder, and students 
from many parts of the world came to observe his work and to see his 
achievements. He was also the close friend of untold numbers who had 
felt the warmth of his radiant personality and had benefited by his vision 
and his inspiration as well as his good seeds. 
Many honors came to him, but he remained to the end the same modest, 
lovable George Wilds, loyal friend, enthusiastic sportsman, charming com- 
panion, great human being. 
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
Coker’s Pedigreed Seed Company 
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