A Generous Legacy
Frank McNeill Williams
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden was recently named as recipient of a valuable piece of land in the agricultural region of south Dade County. Frank McNeill Williams and his wife Betty built their home in the Redland area in 1954 and developed a twenty acre avocado grove.
After retirement, Frank lovingly and laboriously cared for the grove. In recent years, he was concerned about its eventual disposition. It was his desire that the land remain in agricuftural use. His neighbors Don Evans, Fairchild's Director of Grounds Management, and Melba Wood, William's former co-trustee and friend, suggested he consid er giving the property to the Garden. On hearing of the Garden's Tropical Fruit Program, he thought that would be an excellent use of his land.
Mr. Williams passed away in March 2002, leaving a provision in his trust that the Garden receive the property. This beautiful farm now provides a permanent home for the expanding tropical fruit collections, and stand as a fitting memorial to this generous man.
Tropical Fruit Program
Recipes 
Five Decades With Tropical Fruit
A Personal Journey
William F. Whitman
(Left to right) Dr. Richard Campbell, William F Whitman, and Donna McVicar Cannon, Editor of Whitman's new tropical fruit book
This book will open up a whole new world to you, the world of tropical pomology. Bill Whitman's story is fascinating. Everyone who saw my copy wanted to read it: a forester, who enjoyed the descriptions of how to grow trees when your soil is totally wrong and the climate isn't quite right either; a history buff, who loved the story of Bil moving from a Coast Guard ice breaker on the Great lakes to a Polynesian sailing schooner in the South Seas; an artist, who admired the glowing pictures; a horticulturist, who wanted to take it home; and myself, an armchair traveler envious of the author's countless trips to the tropical lands of the world.
It's an enormous book — 496 pages, large format — but it would be a serious mistake to label it a coffee table book. It contains Bill Whitman's collected papers, including those written for "Tropical Fruit News" 1991 - 2000, and hundreds of photographs. In the papers you'll find everything from fruit evaluations to advice on growing both common and relatively unknown species of tropical fruit. It's all written in a conversational tone, making it easy and enjoyable to read, thanks in part to the superb editing of Donna McVicar Cannon.
The Tropical Fruit Program at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden continues the pioneering work of Dr. David Fairchild, founder of the Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction Division of the United States Department of Agriculture. We are committed to his far-reaching goals for the collection, conservation, curation and distribution of superior tropical fruit from the Americas and Asia. With our roots firmly anchored in traditional horticulture, we apply the newest techniques to advance the cultivation, conservation and appreciation of tropical fruit resources.
The mango, jackfruit, lychee, longan, canistel, durian, mamey sapote, mangosteen, rambutan and sapodilla are far from household names; however, through our research and horticulture, we will introduce their seductive pleasures to people throughout the world. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is bringing the world stage the best that science and nature have to offer.
Programa de Frutas Tropicales de Fairchild
El Programa de Frutas Tropicales del Jardín Botánico de Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden continúa con el trabajo del Dr. David Fairchild, fundador y pionero de la “División de Introducción de Semillas y Plantas” del Departamento de Agricultura de los EE.UU. Tenemos el compromiso con sus elevadas metas para la recolección, conservación, mejoramiento y distribución de frutas tropicales superiores de América y Asia Tropical. Con nuestra firme convicción sobre horticultura tradicional, aplicamos nuevas técnicas hortícolas para mejorar los cultivos, conservación y apreciación de los recursos de frutas tropicales.
Mangos of the World Cultivar Display — International Mango Festival
El mango, jackfruit, lychee, longan, canistel, durian, sapote, mangostan, rambutan y níspero son poco conocidos; sin embargo, a través de nuestras investigaciones y horticultura, introduciremos sus placeres seductivos a las personas a través del mundo. El Jardín Botánico de Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden está ofreciendo al mundo lo mejor que la ciencia y la naturaleza tienen para ofrecer.