born Oct. 4, 1879, Du Quoin, Ill., U.S.
died Nov. 9, 1938, Boston, Mass.
U.S. plant geneticist, agronomist, and chemist.
He finished high school at age 15 and received an M.S. in 1904. He was particularly interested in determining and controlling the protein and fat content of corn, both of which significantly influence its value as animal feed. His research, with that of George Harrison Shull , led to the development of modern-day hybrid corn. Commercial production of hybrid seed corn was made possible by the work of his student Donald F. Jones (1890–1963). East's work helped make possible studies in the field of population genetics.