Lush, weed-free lawns owe their beauty in large part to American botanist Frits Went's discovery of the role of the plant growth hormone auxin. Went's 1927 discovery paved the way for the development of modern fertilizers and weed killers and the genetic engineering of plants. Went also developed a greenhouse that has enhanced botanical research by enabling scientists to control the plants' climate. Later in his career, the versatile scientist turned his attention toward environmental problems, including smog and the degradation of the Amazon rain forest.

A career in botany seemed virtually destined for Went, who was born in a garden and raised in a botany lab. He was born May 18, 1903, in Utrecht, Netherlands, the son of Catharina Jacomina (Tonckens) and Friedrich August Ferdinand Christian Went. The Wents lived in a 300-year-old house in the botany garden of the State University of Utrecht, where the senior Went worked as...