Trevor Williams (plant geneticist) facts for kids
John Trevor Williams (born June 21, 1938, died March 30, 2015) was a British scientist who studied plants. He was very important in creating places called gene banks, which are like special libraries for plant seeds.
He worked as the first director of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) in Rome. He helped a lot to save the important plant seeds and genes of the world's food crops. His work led to the creation of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, also known as the 'Doomsday Vault'. This vault is a big part of a worldwide network of gene banks.
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Early Life and School
John Trevor Williams was born in Thingwall, Cheshire, in 1938. He went to Moseley Hall Grammar School. Later, he studied botany, which is the study of plants, at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He finished his first degree in 1959.
He continued his studies and earned a Ph.D. in 1962 from Bangor University. His research was about weeds, especially a plant group called Chenopodium. After that, he taught at Goldsmiths College. He then went to ETH Zurich in Switzerland for more research. There, he earned another advanced degree, a D.Sc., for his work on how nitrogen affects wet meadows.
He came back to the UK and became a lecturer at Lanchester Polytechnic. He was also part of the Council of the British Ecological Society for four years, starting in 1970.
His Work
In 1969, John Trevor Williams joined the botany department at the University of Birmingham. He helped teach a special course about saving and using plant genetic resources. He was also involved with several nature and history groups, like the Botanical Society of the British Isles. He became a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, which is a famous group for natural history.
Leading the IBPGR
From 1976 to 1990, he was the first director of the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) in Rome. In 1976, he first worked for IBPGR as a Genetic Resources Officer. This was part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
When he became the Executive Secretary of IBPGR in 1978, he left his job at the University of Birmingham. The IBPGR was supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Its main goal was to save plant genetic resources. This was very important because many traditional crop varieties were in danger of disappearing forever.
Under his leadership, IBPGR helped set up programs to save these plant resources. They supported over 800 trips to collect seeds and helped create many gene banks around the world. From 1985, he also led the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECP/GR).
Later Career
After leaving IBPGR (which is now called Bioversity International), John Trevor Williams moved to Washington, D.C.. There, he directed the International Fund for Agricultural Research (IFAR). He also worked on a program for tropical trees.
He was an advisor for a publication called 'Diversity'. He also helped start the International Centre for Underutilised Crops. In the 1990s, he helped organize the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).
Awards and Honors
John Trevor Williams received several awards for his important work:
- In 1977, he received the Jubilee Medal from the National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru.
- In 1984, he got a Certificate of Honour for Scientific Excellence from the Royal Government of Thailand.
- Also in 1984, he received a Certificate of Commendation from Argentina for his help with maize (corn) breeding in Latin America.
- He became an honorary professor at the University of Birmingham in 1984.
Personal Life
John Trevor Williams passed away at his home in 2015. He had been ill with a respiratory problem for a long time. His funeral was held at St Chad’s Church in Handforth.
Legacy
He left money to Bangor University to support the study of agricultural botany. This helps future students learn about plants and farming.
