88. Frederick Wilson⁴ Popenoe (Frederick Oliver³, Willis Parkison², James¹) was born Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS 9 Mar 1892. Frederick died 20 Jun 1975 Antigua, Guatemala, at 83 years of age.

He married three times. He married Dorothy K. Hughes Nov 1923 Chevy Chase, Montgomery Co, MD. Dorothy was born Jun 1899 Ashford, Middlesex, England. Dorothy died Dec 1932 Tela, Honduras, at 33 years of age. He married Helen Barsaloux Jan 1939. Helen was born 1904. Helen died Mar 1961 Antigua, Guatemala, at 56 years of age. He married Alice Weiss 1969.

Wilson first developed his interest in horticulture working in his father’s nursery in Altadena. After spending a year at Pomona College, in 1912 he traveled for a year with his brother to collect date palms and then, offered a four-year scholarship at Cornell or an $1800 a year job as plant explorer for the US Department of Agriculture, he chose the latter. He spent the next twelve years getting to know much of Central and South America, as well as working in Washington. In 1925 he went to work for the United Fruit Company, setting up and running various experiment stations in Guatemala and Honduras and eventually starting the Pan American School of Agriculture in Honduras which he directed from 1941 to 1957. The school educated thousands of Latin Americans on full scholarship, emphasizing learning by doing, rather than pure academics.

In 1929 Wilson and his wife purchased the ruins of a colonial mansion in Antigua, Guatemala, and set about a complete restoration. The house became the subject of a book, The House in Antigua, by Louis Adamic. Today, occupied by two of his daughters, Casa Popenoe is one of the most important colonial buildings in Antigua and a must-see on every tourist itinerary.

Wilson received honorary doctorates from Pomona College and the University of Florida and was awarded many medals for his work by foreign governments and scientific societies. In 1991 his biography was published: Wilson Popenoe: Agricultural Explorer, Educator, and Friend of Latin America, by Frederic Rosengarten, Jr.

Frederick Wilson Popenoe and Dorothy K. Hughes had the following children:

136 i. Peter⁵ Popenoe was born in Washington, DC 22 Jul 1924. Peter died 25 Jul 1971 at 47 years of age. Due to a birth injury, Peter was retarded and institutionalized during most of his life.

+ 137 ii. Nancy Popenoe was born 9 Jan 1926.

138 iii. Hugh Llewellyn Popenoe was born Tela, Honduras   1929. Hugh received his BA in 1951 from the University of California, followed by a PhD in 1960 from the University of Florida in Soils. Most of his career has been at the University of Florida beginning in 1954. He became Director of the Center for Tropical Agriculture in 1965 and Professor of Soils in 1971. His main research interests are the development of tropical agriculture and tropical ecology and he has been a consultant to the National Academy of Sciences and many other scientific organizations.

+ 139 iv. Marion Popenoe was born  1930.

+ 140 v. Pauline (Sally) Popenoe was born  1932.

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