Wells, B. W. (Bertram Whittier), 1884-1978

Bertram Whittier Wells is most widely known for his study and preservation of North Carolina's natural environment. Wells headed North Carolina State College's (later North Carolina State University) Botany Department from 1919 to 1949 and remained on the faculty until 1954. One of the first to rightly be called an ecologist, he wrote on many topics: the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, Bald Head Island, and the formation of the Carolina Bays. However, his most extensive work focused on savannah and pocosin vegetation. First published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1932, Wells's popular book, The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, remains in print. Wells also advocated for modern scientific instruction methods, including the teaching of evolution in the 1920s. During Wells's long retirement, he became seriously interested in painting.

From the description of Bertram Whittier Wells papers, 1849, 1901-2004 [manuscript] (North Carolina State University). WorldCat record id: 466172188

During his long and active life, B. W. (Bertram Whittier) Wells (1884-1978) was keenly interested in the study and preservation of North Carolina's unique landscape. He spent time studying the Big Savannah in North Carolina's Pender County, a spot he made famous in his publications on "natural gardens." Wells also, unsuccessfully, worked to save the Big Savannah from development. In 2002, a similar ecological site was dedicated to Wells's memory. Wells's concern for the environment was evidenced in his teaching and work as the head of North Carolina State College's (later North Carolina State University) Botany Department, his writing, and his personal involvement in botanical and environmental associations. James R. Troyer rightly titled his book about Wells Nature's Champion .

Born in 1884, in Troy, Ohio, Wells studied botany at Ohio State University, received his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and taught at a number of universities before he came to North Carolina State College in 1919. Wells headed the Botany Department from 1919 to 1949 and continued teaching until his retirement in 1954. During his thirty-five years at North Carolina State, Wells had a significant impact on scientific study. His research interests included the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, Bald Head Island vegetation, and the possible formation by meteorites of the Carolina Bays, in the eastern part of the state. Wells was also a vocal advocate of the teaching of evolution in the 1920s and helped to prevent the legislature from banning it in the public schools. His botanical interests led him to write a book titled The Natural Gardens of North Carolina . Originally written in 1932 and published with the help of the North Carolina Garden Club, the book is still in print from University of North Carolina Press. It provides an account of North Carolina plant life and has a particularly forward-looking position on ecology, advocating the study of plants in their natural environments.

Wells had a profound love for his retirement property, called Rockcliff Farm, located on a bend in the Neuse River. In the 1970s, the Falls of the Neuse Reservoir submerged much of the property and the famed Ziegle's Rock. The property was subsumed within the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, where, in cooperation with the B. W. Wells Association and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the homestead has been preserved. Initially conceived by the B. W. Wells Association as the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area (later called the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area), the site is used to educate the public about B.W. Wells and promote his conservation ethics.

The Rockcliff Farm property, home, and personally constructed art studio provided Wells with an ideal setting in which to cultivate his interest in painting. Although his love for art had been life-long and he had been involved in the McLean Mural controversy during his years at State, Wells began teaching himself to paint in his 70s. Although he never sold any artwork, he frequently gave it to friends, and a number of pieces are on exhibit at the Wells historical site. Wells's second wife Maude Barnes Wells, who died in 2001, shared his love of the property. Wells's first wife, Edna Metz Wells, who died in 1938, was a respected local teacher and was honored with a Wake County, North Carolina, park named in her honor.

Although Wells died in December 1978, his contributions, particularly in North Carolina, have engendered a devoted following for his life and work. In addition to J. R. Troyer's biography of Wells, there remains a B. W. Wells Association to administer the historic site and site of his former property, as well as to pass on his botanical knowledge and environmental interests to new generations.

James R. Troyer gathered much of the material in this collection during his preparation for the book, Nature's Champion: B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist . Born in Goshen, Indiana, in 1929, Troyer received his B.A. at DePauw University, his M.A. at Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in Botany at Columbia University, in 1954. After teaching at Yale University until 1957, Troyer began his career at North Carolina State College as an assistant professor of botany. During his 38 years at State, Troyer became a full professor with a focus on plant physiology and the history of botany, particularly in North Carolina. He has held the position of Emeritus Professor of Botany since 1995.

From the guide to the Bertram Whittier Wells Papers, Bulk, 1901-2004, 1849; 1901-2004, (Special Collections Research Center)

During his long and active life, B. W. (Bertram Whittier) Wells (1884-1978) pursued a deep interest in the study and preservation of North Carolina's unique landscape. He did this through his teaching and work as the head of North Carolina State College's Botany and Plant Pathology Department, his writing, and his personal involvement in botanical and environmental associations. James R. Troyer rightly entitled his book about Wells, Nature's Champion: B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist .

Born in 1884 in Troy, Ohio, Wells studied botany at Ohio State University, received his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and taught at a number of universities before he came to North Carolina State College in 1919. Wells headed the Botany and Plant Pathology Department from 1919 to 1949 and continued teaching until his retirement in 1954. During his 35 years at State College, Wells had a significant influence on scientific study. His research interests included the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, the role of pine communities in the coastal plain environment, the plant communities of the Big Savannah of Pender County, North Carolina, and the possible formation by meteorites of the Carolina Bays in the eastern part of the state.

Wells also introduced the study of ecology to State College, and he traveled around North Carolina taking students on field trips and observing plants in their native environments. On his travels, Wells made photographs that he turned into glass lantern slides, and he used these slides in lectures to his students, as well as community groups across the state. Wells' collaboration with the Garden Club of North Carolina led to the 1932 publication of his book, The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, reprinted in 1967 and 2002. Through his talks to both scholarly and popular audiences, Wells advocated for the preservation of North Carolina habitats, but, as his biographer observed, Wells was "most effective as a popularizer of what needed to be conserved."

Wells continued his advocacy and educational efforts during his retirement at Rock Cliff Farm, now the B. W. Wells portion of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area. After Wells' death in December 1978, friends and supporters kept his memory alive through the B. W. Wells Association that maintains his former home site and conducts botanical and environmental programs. Preservation efforts have also continued in Wells' name, as in the 2002 dedication of the B. W. Wells Savannah in Pender County, a tract of land with rare plants and environmental conditions documented by Wells in his glass lantern slides and writings on the Big Savannah. Wells was not able to save the Big Savannah, but his years of research and advocacy inspired others to preserve an example of this ecosystem that had been so important to B. W. Wells in his personal and professional life.

From the guide to the University Archives Photograph Collection, B. W. Wells Lantern Slides, 1920-1953, (Special Collections Research Center)