The Fig King of Fresno: The Botanical Heist That Reshaped California's LandscapeReshaped California's Landscape

[Rob]

I found this thesis written about George Roeding a couple of months ago, and it was written in 2022 by Jacob Walz Roberts. I have checked many of the citations he mentions, and they all check out very well and I have also contacted the people organizing the 'Roeding collection', that is referred to several times in the thesis, and from what I was told, he visited them, and spent several days sifting through about 7,000 photographs, so It seems George was an avid photographer also. A few photographs are now online, and a few in the thesis, but it will be some time before they are all there for us to view. This is truly the most comprehensive story, not just of George's life, but of all the issues that had to be overcome, to finally have the fig wasp settled in California. It was a great deal more involved than we have ever read previously.

The Fig King of Fresno_ The Botanical Heist That Reshaped CaliforReduced.pdf

[Rob]

A picture of George Roeding from the thesis...

Screenshot 2025-12-03 at 19-50-02 The Fig King of Fresno The Botanical Heist That Reshaped California's Landscape - The Fig King of Fresno_ The Botanical Heist That Reshaped Califor.pdf.png

Something we could learn from here, the correct word as mentioned in the thesis is caprifig, even Goerge Roeding had it incorrect in his book, writing Capri fig.

The Fig King of Fresno_ The Botanical Heist That Reshaped Califor.pdf.png

The fact that George Roeding was in a sanitarium at all was surprising, and I never would have thought of him committing suicide while there either. It is mentioned below, and this is all from the thesis above.

Screenshot 2025-11-17 at 08-49-56 Jacob Roberts Thesis Manuscript_final for submission - Roeding History..pdf.png