Timeline Text

		Time Line History of the Garden
	1871	Shortly after his arrival at Michigan State Agricultural College, Prof. Beal stated the need for a campus botanic garden.
	1872	Prof. Beal establishes a nursery where he grows plants from a number of sources including Kew Gardens and the Arnold Arboretum.
	1873	Prof. Beal establishes test plots of 140 species of forage grasses and clovers along a small tributary of the Red Cedar River, north of West Circle Drive in an area which would become known as 'Sleepy Hollow.'
	1874	Prof. Beal establishes the Arboretum by planting two rows of swamp white oaks on north campus. The arboretum is located between Mary Mayo and Campbell halls, which were built in the 1930's.
	1877	Prof. Beal begins to refer to the expanded collection of plants long the small tributary as the Botanic Garden. Many students and local residents call the garden the Wild Garden.'
	1877	Inspired by Charles Darwin's book on hybrid vigor, and a letter from the famous scientist, Prof. Beal became the first to publish on increasing yield in corn through cross pollination studies. The cross increased corn yields by fifty-three percent.
	1879	Prof. Beal begins his classic seed viability study which continues to this date.
	1888	Prof. Beal initiates the first state Forestry Convention and serves as director of the first Michigan Forestry Commission.
	1895	Prof. Beal publishes first map of the Botanic Garden.
	Early 1900s	Due to increasing pollution from surface runoff from the streets of East Lansing, the small stream which ran through the heart of the Botanic Garden is placed in a storm sewer and Sleepy Hollow is physically cut off from the rest of the garden when the small stone arch bridge for West Circle Drive is filled in.
	1910	Prof. Beal retires at the age of 77.
	1912	Johannes Uphof serves as curator.
	1914	Prof. Darlington is appointed director.
	1924	December 17, the State Board of Agriculture approved the recommendation of the Department of Botany to name the Botanic Garden the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, in honor of its founder who passed away on May 12 of that year.
	1925	Prof. Darlington hires Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew trainee, H. L. R. Chapman as head gardener and superintendent.
	1928	Prof. Darlington proposes expanding the Botanical Garden.
	1930	Perceived as too large of an expansion, Prof. Darlington is relieved of his duties as Garden Director by the College's Board of Trustees. Mr. Chapman was appointed curator.
	1950	State Board of Agriculture transferred the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden from the Botany Department to the Office of Campus Park and Planning for redesign, development and maintenance. Dr. William Drew, Chair of the Botany Department served as technical advisor.
	1950	July 1, Dr. C.L. Gilly, Assistant Professor of Botany appointed Curator of Botanical Collections.
	1950	The entire garden is reorganized and redesigned by Prof. Milton Baron, Landscape Architect. This created the four main collections present in today's garden: systematic, economic, ecological, and landscape.
	1951	Prof. Baron serves as curator with consulting from the Botany Department.
	1953	First recorded public guided tour of the Garden conducted by Prof. Baron on August 6.
	1954	W. J. Beal Botanical Garden commences participation in the international seed exchange program, publishing its first Index Seminum.
	1955	The American Society of Horticultural Science, in its meeting at Michigan State University, pronounced the Garden the finest teaching facility in the country.'
	1955	Dr. George W. Parmelee appointed curator. He introduces a new system of informative interpretive labels for garden plants and campus trees.
	1957	Mr. Johannes Wilbrink hired as Head Gardener and Assistant Curator.
	1961	Sleepy Hollow is re-incorporated as part of the Beal Botanical Garden and was modified to support a collection of acidophilous plants including rhododendrons, azaleas, and ferns.
	1963	The Michigan Horticultural Society recognized the Beal Botanical Garden as the outstanding campus-located botanical garden in the country.
	1973	Beal Centennial. A marker was unveiled in the garden, speeches presented and Governor William Milliken declared the second week of May 1973 as "William James Beal Week".
	1986	Dr. Gerard T. Donnelly appointed curator. He added the Endangered and Threatened Plant of Michigan collection and was the first to establish a computer database of accessions and a computer map of campus trees.
	1990	Dr. Donnelly accepts the appointment of Executive Director of the Morton Arboretum.
	1991	Mr. Thomas Kehler, Director of Campus Park & Planning, Dr. Gustaaf DeZoeten, Chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Provost Lou Anna K. Simon, and Vice President Roger Wilkinson work to re-engineer the operational structure of the Botanical Garden. The duties of the Curator are redefined with a joint appointment between Campus Park & Planning and the Department of Botany. A new position of Collections Manager is created.
	1993	January, Dr. Frank W. Telewski, Director of the Buffalo and Erie Botanical Garden is hired as Curator and Assistant Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology.
	1993	April, Ms Elaine M. Chittenden is hired as Collection Manager.
	1995	Dr. Telewski established the plant collections listserv (aabgacol) in cooperation with the Plant Collections Committee of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.
	1997	W. J. Beal Botanical Garden celebrates its 125th anniversary and hosts the Midwest regional meeting of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta.
	1997	W. J. Beal Botanical Garden adopts a new logo which incorporates an image of the mullein flower (Verbascum), representing the only genus to germinate consistently in the Beal Seed Viability Experiment.
	2000	For the first time in 70 years, the Garden once again actively participates in the Beal Seed Viability study when Dr. Telewski unearths the 120th year bottle with Dr. Jan Zeevaart in April.
	2001	The Botanical Garden is voted "Most Romantic Place" in the Greater Lansing's People's Choice competition.
	2001	Work begins on the establishment of the Non-Flowering Vascular Plant Collection.
		Professor Beal's Personal History
	1833	Born March 11, in Adrian, Michigan
	1855-1859	Attended the University of Michigan, and earned his BA
	1861-1863	Attended Harvard University earned BS studying under Asa Gray
	1870	First lecture at Michigan State Agricultural College (MAC) July 9
	1871-1881	Professor of Botany and Horticulture, MAC
	1875	Earned MS from University of Chicago
	1880	Awarded honorary Ph.D. from University of Michigan
	1881-1902	Professor of Botany and Forestry, MAC
	1905	Earned Doctorate of Science MAC
	1910	Retired from MAC, moved to Amherst, MA, to be with his daughter and son-in-law.
	1915	Published first history book of MAC
	1924	Died peacefully in his sleep on May 12, at the age of 91