Leonard Wickenden (1886–1959) was a British-American

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and

organic farmer Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...

Biography

Wickenden was born in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

.''Chemist, Author Mr. Wickenden Dies At 73''. ''Westport Town Crier'' (April 23, 1959). He was educated at the

Imperial College of Science and Technology Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums, ...

in London."Testimony of Leonard Wickenden, Industrial Chemist, Westport, Conn"
In ''Chemicals in Foods and Cosmetics''.

United States Government Publishing Office The United States Government Publishing Office (USGPO or GPO), formerly the United States Government Printing Office, is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office produces and distributes informati ...

, 1952. pp. 1077-1078 He graduated in 1906 and from 1908-1911 was an assistant chemist for

Huntley & Palmers Huntley & Palmers is a British company of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. Formed by Joseph Huntley in 1822, the company became one of the world's first global brands (chiefly led by George Palmer (businessman), George Palme ...

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

. He emigrated to the United States and took a position in the electro-chemical department of West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. In 1918, he was appointed chief chemist of their New York laboratories. He was elected a fellow of the

American Institute of Chemists The American Institute of Chemists (AIC) is an organization founded in 1923 with the goal of advancing the chemistry profession in the United States. The institute is known for its yearly awards recognizing contributions of individuals in this fie ...

in 1926. Wickenden started his own consulting practice at 120

Wall Street Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1934. He sold his laboratory in 1949 and retired to his home at

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

, to study agriculture. He was married to Elsie Porter Wickenden, they had a son, Leonard and a daughter Mrs John Hermenze. Wickenden's first book ''Make Friends With Your Land'' (1949) defended the conservation of organic matter and its use in

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

ing. He opposed the use of chemical fertilizers. His book ''Our Daily Poison'' (1955) was concerned about the effects of

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

fluoride Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an Inorganic chemistry, inorganic, Monatomic ion, monatomic Ion#Anions and cations, anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose ...

hormone A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...

s and other chemicals being used in agriculture,

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

and the public

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...

. It condemned the use of spraying fruits and vegetables with

insecticide Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...

s as a danger to health and the environment.Smith, Andrew F. (2017). ''Food in America: The Past, Present, and Future of Food, Farming, and the Family Meal, Volume 1''. ABC-CLIO. pp. 180-181. The book was written seven years before

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservation movement, conservationist whose sea trilogy (1941–1955) and book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) are credited with advancing mari ...

's famous ''

Silent Spring ''Silent Spring'' is an environmental science book by Rachel Carson. Published on September 27, 1962, the book documented the environmental harm caused by the indiscriminate use of DDT, a pesticide used by soldiers during World War II. Carson acc ...

'' in 1962.

Selected publications

*''Make Friends With Your Land: A Chemist Looks at Organiculture'' (1949) *''Gardening with Nature: How to Grow Your Own Vegetables Fruits and Flowers by Natural Methods'' (1954) *''Our Daily Poison: The Effects of DDT, Fluorides, Hormones, and Other Chemicals on Modern Man'' (1955)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickenden, Leonard 1886 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American chemists Alumni of Imperial College London American non-fiction environmental writers Organic farmers British emigrants to the United States

Biography

Selected publications

See also

References