Cornelius Lott Shear

Cornelius Lott Shear (March 26, 1865 February 2, 1956) was an American mycologist and plant pathologist who served as a senior pathologist at the USDA Bureau of Plant Industry.

Born in Coeyman's Hollow, Albany County, New York, on March 26, 1865, Shear was the first to describe the grass Bromus arizonicus. He was a pioneer in the study of pathogenic fungi who studied crop diseases and developed control measures for treatment of economically-important crops such as cranberries, grapes and cotton. He played a pivotal role in creating the American Phytopathological Society, founded in 1908.