COVER
William Weibull (1883-1962)
The cover depicts William Weibull, a member of the Weibull
family of Landskrona, Sweden. William Weibull was managing
director of W. Weibull AB, a widely-known and successful seed
company founded in 1870 by Waifrid Weibull. The business and
research philosophy of that company deserves special notice. It
was at Weibullsholm where basic research flourished alongside the
applied. It was here, for example, where H. Lamprecht, S. Blixt,
and their assoicates enjoyed the freedom and support that led to
their timeless contributions to the basic understanding of pea
genetics and cytogenetics. Moreover, these and other research
findings were freely communicated, even though they were generated
within a private commercial firm. William Weibull and his nephew
Gunnar were staunch exponents of the philosophy that fostered
fundamental research. Their dedication to this philosophy was
in fact so strong that, even when the company ran a deficit, the
directors' salaries were cut 25% while the basic research policy
remained intact. Such sustained, enlightened support deserves to
be recognized.
William Weibull joined W. Weibull AB as a plant breeder in 1908
and became a member of the board of directors in 1911. He was
managing director from 1946 to 1962. Gunnar Weibull, a fourth-
generation Weibull, was also a director of the company until his
death in 1964. Gunnar Weibull was an influential spokesman for
Plant Breeders Rights and helped in the creation of the European
system; he was also a champion of resource conservation.
(Background information for the above was kindly provided by
Stig Blix and Peder Weibull. Elaine Gotham executed the drawing
from a photograph provided by Weibullsholm.).