William L. Brown

William Lacy Brown (July 16, 1913 – March 8, 1991) was an American geneticist notable for breeding programs in maize, sorghum, soybeans and wheat. He was president, chairman and chief executive of Pioneer Hi-Bred International. He was also a director of the Rockefeller Foundation's advisory committee on maize. Brown was elected to the National Academies of Science. The National Academies Press said that Brown "made significant and lasting contributions to increasing and stabilizing food production worldwide".

Brown received his Ph.D. from Washington University in 1941. For almost his entire career of 40 years, he was with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, one of the world's largest manufacturers of hybrid seed corn.