Peter Crane

President

Peter Crane is President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Virginia. He joined Oak Spring after seven years as Dean of the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies - the Yale environment school. Originally from Kettering in the United Kingdom, Peter trained and worked at the University of Reading before moving to Indiana University in the US in 1981 for his postdoctoral studies. In addition to Yale, his career since the early 1980s has included positions at the Field Museum in Chicago, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The University of Chicago.

Peter is a specialist in the diversity of plant life, including its fossil history, evolution and conservation. Peter and his wife Elinor, who works as a volunteer at the foundation, came to Oak Spring in 2016. Peter was attracted by the opportunity to create new programs focused on plants, gardens and landscapes that also honor the legacy of Mrs. Mellon. 

Peter continues his research on plant evolution and also enjoys any opportunity to be out on the Oak Spring landscape. He was an avid player of both soccer and cricket in the UK, and continues to follow Premiership soccer at a distance, from his home at Oak Spring. Peter travels extensively in connection with his work at Oak Spring, and also his board responsibilities in the US and overseas. When he has time, he enjoys reading biographies and trying his hand at popular writing.