L. H. Bailey

Liberty Hyde Bailey (March 15, 1858 – December 25, 1954) was an American horticulturist and advocate for rural reform in the United States. He was cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science. During the Progressive Era, Bailey was instrumental in establishing the Cooperative Extension System, 4-H youth development programs, the nature study movement, parcel post, and rural electrification.:44 In 1903, Bailey founded the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University and served as its first dean until 1913. Bailey's work was influential in defining rural sociology as a distinct and valuable field of study in the United States.