Born in Aurelia, Iowa on July 25, 1883, Winfred M. Atwood served in the Oregon State College Botany and Plant Physiology department from 1913-1950. Atwood received his A.B. from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa in 1907. After graduation, he taught high school from 1908-1909 at Hampton High school in Iowa. In 1916 he returned to Cornell College and earned his A.M. degree. Enrolling at the University of Chicago, he obtained his M.S. degree in 1911 and his Ph.D. in 1913. In September 1913, he accepted a position as an instructor in biology at Oregon Agricultural College. He was made an Associate Professor of Botany in 1916 and Professor of Plant Physiology in 1925. During World War I, Atwood worked on research problems related to wheat germination. He served as chairman of the student loan fund administered by the college faculty committee. Winfred Atwood retired from Oregon State in 1950.
