Born in South Haven, Michigan, in 1858, Liberty Bailey is noted for his basic works in botany and horticulture. He was instrumental in raising the stature of horticulture to an applied science and in improving the living conditions and education of farmers. Bailey became a professor of horticulture at Michigan State University (1885) and at Cornell University (1888-1903). In 1920 he established the Bailey Hortorium of the State University of New York. As a diversion from administrative duties and research in science, Bailey he wrote two volumes of poetry and nine in the fields of sociology, religion, and philosophy. Bailey wrote more than 60 books on botany, horticulture, and agriculture. He is credited with coining the term cultivarcultivar.
