Harry Marshall Ward (March 21, 1854 – 26 August, 1906) was a British botanist.
Born in Hereford, England, Ward was educated at Lincoln Cathedral School. from c. 1864. He went on to scientific studies at the South Kensington Science and Art Department under Thomas Henry Huxley in 1874. Ward then attended first Owens College, Manchester, in 1875, and subsequently Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1876 to 1879.
At Cambridge, Ward achieved a B.A. with First Class Honours in the Natural Sciences Tripos. Ward's education at Cambridge was funded by a wealthy fellow student from South Kensington, Louis Lucas. He also studied with leading German botanists Julius von Sachs and Anton de Bary who at the time were way ahead of the English in the field of experimental Botany.
After leaving Strasburg he went to Ceylon, on appointment as cryptogamic Botanist to the Government, where he investigated with success the coffee leaf rust disease then devastating the plantations of the colony.
In 1883 Ward returned to Owens College as an assistant lecturer, and married his very patient fiancée Selina Mary Kingdon, who had been waiting for him since around 1870. Their first child was a daughter Winnifred Mary Ward born October 1884, and on 6 November 1885 they had a son Francis Kingdon Ward (m.1904).
In 1885 shortly after the birth of his son he was appointed Professor of Botany at the Royal Indian Engineering College (Forestry department) at Cooper's Hill, now part of Brunel University. He moved with his new family into a house at Englefield Green.
He became F.L.S. (Fellow of the Linnaean Society) in 1886 F.R.H.S. (Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1887 and F.R.S. (Fellow of the Royal Society) in 1889.
A great deal of his work and study was influenced by one of his early tutors, W.T. Thiselton-Dyer. It was Thiselton-Dyer who suggested him for the job in Ceylon, he who largely got him his first post at Owen's College. Dyer persuaded him to spend time researching the biological processes involved in brewing ginger beer, and helped ensure his entry to the Linnaean Society; his signature was on a letter to the prime minister of the day H H Asquith recommending a pension should be paid to his widow, Selina after his death.
In 1895 he became Professor of Botany at Cambridge University, his alma mater. There was a tremendous amount of work to do with the department which had been neglected by previous incumbents. Ward worked tirelessly to get the teaching and the facilities up to scratch. His efforts culminated in a complete new building designed and equipped to his own requirements. The building was opened on 1 March 1904 by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. There was a seven course lunch for the King and Queen and a select guestlist included Thiselton-Dyer, and later the Wards entertained staff and guests in part of the new building.
Meanwhile he was gaining more honours and positions on committees while still researching and teaching and administrating. All this work took its toll on his health. He was weakened further by diabetes and eventually it all caught up with him. He was elected Honorary Fellow of Christ's 1897
He died on 26 August 1906 aged only 52. He is buried in Cambridge.[Wikipedia and PBR]
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Harry Marshall Ward (March 21, 1854 – 26 August, 1906) was a British botanist. Ward attended first Owens college, Manchester, in 1875, and subsequently Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1876 to 1879. In 1895 he rose to become Professor of Botany at Cambridge University.
