Joseph Lancaster Budd was born in Putnam County, New York, on July 3, 1834. In 1858 he moved to Iowa, where he purchased a large tract of land near Shellsburg in Benton County. On that land he established the Benton County Nursery. Budd was employed by Iowa Agricultural College in 1877. He served as a Professor of Horticulture and head of the Horticulture Department from 1877 to 1898, and as a Professor Emeritus from 1898-1904. He was the Acting President of Iowa State from December 5, 1884 to February 1, 1885. In 1892 he traveled to Russia to investigate Russian varieties of fruits that would be winter hardy in the Midwest. He died in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 20, 1904, and is buried in Ames, Iowa.

This collection contains biographical information, correspondence, articles written by Joseph Budd, a notebook documenting the Horticulture Lectures given by Professor Budd, and genealogical information about the Budd family.