Born in 1845, Charles Bessey was to become a prominent leader in the development of modern botanical science, active in research, teaching, administration, and the professionalization movement of American botanists. Bessey entered Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C., now Michigan State University) in 1866 and studied under Albert Nelson Prentiss and William James Beal, two botanists noted for their teaching skills.

Graduating from M.A.C. with a B.S. in 1869, Charles Bessey began his career in 1870 at Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University) as an instructor in botany and horticulture. In later years he was awarded honorary degrees from M.A.C. (1872), the University of Iowa (1879), and Grinnell College (1898).

In August 1872, as a newly-elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (A.A.A.S.), Charles Bessey met Asa Gray, a major figure in early American botany. During the winter months of 1872-1873, he studied with Gray at Harvard. In 1884, Bessey resigned his position at the Iowa Agricultural College, moving to the University of Nebraska to serve as chair of Botany and dean of the Industrial College, a position he was to hold until his death in 1915. During his years at Nebraska, he also acted in interregnum periods as Chancellor of the University (1888-1891 and 1899-1900).

Charles Bessey played a prominent role within the professionalization movement of American botanists. He is considered the prime mover in the establishment of the Iowa Academy of Science, and was elected its president in 1875. He continued this trend of leadership in Nebraska, serving as botanist for the State Board of Agriculture, as a member of the State Horticultural Society, as first director of the Experiment Station, and in many other capacities. He supported the development of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and was active in international botanical societies.

In addition to these professional activities, Charles Bessey was also active in reforming university and secondary education to provide a scientific basis for agriculture. He introduced the laboratory method of teaching botany in 1870 at Iowa and began writing textbooks on the subject in 1880. He pioneered the undergraduate teaching method of physiological botany, and at Iowa State University founded the first experimental laboratory for this purpose. As a leader in the "New Botany Movement" (a shift from the traditional concentration on taxonomy toward evolution and physiology in botany), he wrote a pioneer textbook: The Essentials of Botany, published by Henry Holt, who in 1879 began publishing a series of scientific text books. The first edition appeared in 1880. In 1914, after eight editions, the last edition was published under joint authorship with Ernst A. Bessey. This book revolutionized the teaching of botany in America, being the first to advocate laboratory work.

Charles Bessey was also instrumental in the development of the National Forest at Halsey, Nebraska. In cooperation with Bernhard E. Fernow, chief of the Division of Forestry in the Department of Agriculture, and Gifford Pinchot, USDA Forester, he worked to establish a forest in the Sand Hills region of Nebraska.

He married Lucy Athearn, a music teacher at the Lansing Academy of Music, on December 25, 1873. They had three sons: Edward, Ernst, and Carl, all of whom graduated from the University of Nebraska. Ernst followed in his father's footsteps, becoming an internationally known botanist and mycologist. Charles E. Bessey passed away in his home on February 25, 1915.

Born in Ames, Iowa, Ernst Athearn Bessey became an internationally known botanist specializing in mycology, a branch of botany dealing with fungi. He received his A.B., B.S., and M.A. from the University of Nebraska in 1896, 1897, and 1898 respectively.

Between 1899 and 1908, Ernst Bessey worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. From 1902 to 1904, he traveled extensively in Russia, the Caucuses, Upper Armenia, the Trans-Caspian provinces, Russian Turkestan, Algeria, and central Europe on an agricultural mission for the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction. In 1903, his father traveled with him to Russia and the Caucuses. Interspersed with his travels, Ernst studied at the University of Halle, Germany, receiving a PhD in 1904.

From 1908 to 1910, Ernst served as a professor of botany and bacteriology at Louisiana State University. He spent the remainder of his career, from 1910 until his retirement in 1946, at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University). He succeeded W. J. Beal as professor of botany from 1910 to 1920, was made head of the Botany Department in 1920, and later served as acting dean of the Applied Science Division from 1927 to 1930. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Graduate School at Michigan State, and became its first dean in 1930.

In 1946, he retired, and was named professor emeritus of the Graduate School. In 1956, he was named among the nations 50 outstanding botanists by the Botanical Society of America.

Ernst Bessey was active in the development of the U.S. date palm industry, authored standard mycology texts, and became the first president of the Michigan Academy of Science. He was fluent in many languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French, Swedish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and Russian.

He married Edith Carleton Higgins of Omaha, Nebraska, and had two sons. He died on July 17, 1957, in East Lansing.