Edwin Bingham Copeland

Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's leading pteridologists (one who studies ferns). In 1909, he founded the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna, now part of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and served as its dean and also as a professor of plant physiology for eight years (1909–1917). In 1917, he returned to the United States and was a leading rice grower in Chico, California. He wrote numerous articles and several books including "Elements of Philippine Agriculture", "The Coconut" (three editions, 1914, 1921, and 1931), "Rice" (1924), "Fern" (1964) and "Natural Conduct" (1928), a book on practical ethics. In a letter during his final months, a friend C.V. Morton wrote, "You have the consolation of knowing that your name is in constant use by fern students the world over." The fungus genus Copelandia was named after him.

On August 8, 1899, Copeland and partner E. N. Henderson were the first climbers known to reach summit of Junction Peak, a thirteener in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

His father was the zoologist Herbert Edson Copeland (1849–1876) and he was the father of biologist Herbert Copeland. He was married to Ethel Faulkner Copeland.

Legacy The following species of plants are named after him: Saurauia copelandii Elmer