Dr. Brooks Drain joined the faculty of the College of Agriculture in 1931. He was the long-time department head of horticulture. He developed the Orient pear, the Ayres pear, and the Tennessee Beauty strawberry, among many patented varieties. His textbook Essentials of Systematic Pomology was in national and international use. His groundbreaking work with pyrethrum, and its separation from plants such as the chrysanthemum, paved the way for development of pesticides effective in killing roaches and ants.