Why I Am an Infidel/Chapter 1
LUTHER BURBANK
Luther Burbank, naturalist, originator of new fruits, flowers, etc., was born in Massachusetts in 1849. He was always devoted to nature study, especially plant life, with which he early began to experiment. He moved to Santa Rosa, California, in 1875, where he conducted Burbank's Experiment Farms. He often had several thousand distinct experiments under way—even at the time of his death growing some five thousand distinct botanical specimens from all over the world. He was also a special lecturer on evolution at Leland Stanford, Jr., University. His fame as a botanist and inventor of new plant forms awakened widespread interest in plant breeding throughout the world.
In January, 1926. Luther Burbank made a declaration of agnosticism to a newspaper reporter. Although Burbank's rationalistic convictions were not by any means unknown to readers of his books, or to his friends, the publication of this interview in the newspapers created a furore of criticism throughout the country. Since it then became known generally to the public at large, the facts about Luther Burbank's agnosticism were news. In spite of criticism from the pulpits, he refused to qualify his unequivocal statements. "I am an infidel," he said.
About the middle of March Luther Burbank became ill with gastro-intestinal complications. He died April 11, 1926. Lest the "last words" of this infidel be garbled in future ages to delude credulous mankind, it should be emphatically stated that Luther Burbank did not recant—even the newspaper accounts of his death made this fact clear. He remained an infidel until the last—an unbeliever, scientifically sure of himself, passing from life into darkness.