 Harry Harlan was a friend of the famous Russian plant breeding expert Nikolai Vavilov, and at the age of fifteen Jack Harlan met Vavilov when the latter stayed at the Harlan house during an international conference.This meeting inspired Jack to become a plant collector himself, and plans were made for him to travel to Russia after finishing his undergraduate degree to work with Vavilov.However the trip was cancelled as a result of Vavilov's deteriorating relationship with the Soviet authorities.