W. Atlee Burpee

W. Atlee Burpee (born April 5, 1858, Sheffield, New Brunswick, Canada—died November 26, 1915, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S.) was an American seedsman who founded the world’s largest mail-order seed company. After completing two years at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Burpee borrowed $1,000 from his mother and set up a mail-order poultry business with a partner in 1876. Two years later he struck out on his own and founded the company that continued to bear...