J.E. COIT, PH.D
1880-1976
EARLY RESIDENTS DIVISION 2024
Dr. Coit was born March 9, 1880, in San Antonio, Texas. In later life he often mentioned the dusty streets and the flies around the Alamo where he spent many of his early days. He was educated in North Carolina and New York State, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Agriculture at North Carolina State College at Raleigh, North Carolina and his Ph.D. degree at Cornell University in 1907. His first position was Professor of Horticulture at the University of Arizona.
He later started the Experiment Station at Whittier, then moved to Riverside as Superintendent of the Citrus Experiment Station. In 1912 he was appointed Professor of Citriculture and Subtropic Pomology at the University of California at Berkeley. He left during World War I to organize the Farm Advisor's office at Los Angeles. He was the first Farm Advisor and during World War I he spent grueling hours lecturing, writing and guiding farmers in food production during the war. At war's end he returned to Berkeley for a short time, then left to organize his own agricultural consulting business in Southern California. Traveling in his Ford, he consulted with ranchers of all types from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
Some ranchers were wealthy and could pay for his services. If they were unable to pay he helped them free of charge. He authored the college textbook "Citrus Fruits"; organized the Avocado Society and was an enthusiastic pioneer in promoting the avocado. In Vista, at what is now Santa Clara and West Vista Way, he had the largest avocado nursery which he operated until the major Depression. His writings and university bulletins
covered many fruits which he considered suitable for Southern California industry, dates, persimmons, passion fruit, loquats, etc. He was instrumental in organizing Calavo Growers, was editor of its publication at one time, and a director for 20 years.
In his retirement years he enjoyed sending for carob budwood around the globe and budding his carob orchard to new varieties. He saw in the jojoba great possibility for oil, rubber, use in penicillin, cosmetics, etc. The developing interest in these two fruits vindicates his interest. His great love for Vista started in 1907 when, just out of Cornell, he rode in a horse and buggy through this area. He decided then that he would live here someday. He eventually had two beautiful homes in Vista and lived here a total of about 30 years. He supervised the planting of a large grove of carob trees near Pechstein Reservoir and donated dozens of these trees which were planted on down-town Vista streets. Dr. Coit passed on in June of 1976 at 96 years of age. He was survived by four daughters.