William H. Judd was born in Preston Brook, Cheshire, England in 1888, the son of a superintendent of a large private estate. He developed an interest in gardening as a child, and at the age of 15 took the first of several positions as a gardening apprentice. Judd received an appointment at the prestigious Royal Gardens at Kew and spent three years there, studying propagation and the systematic record keeping that would eventually serve the Arnold Arboretum well. When Charles Sprague Sargent sought propagation talent to apprentice to master propagator Jackson Dawson in 1913, he wrote to W.J. Bean, then curator at Kew, for his suggestions. Bean recommended Judd, who was offered a position as propagator at the Arnold Arobretum. Compelled by the reputation of the Arnold Arboretum and of Jackson Dawson, chief propagator, Judd accepted. William Judd served as an assistant to Dawson for three years. When Dawson died in 1916, Judd was appointed propagator of trees and shrubs, a position he retained until his sudden, premature death at 59 in 1946.
From the description of William Henry Judd (1888-1946) Papers, 1913-1946. (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 772980511
