▁ ▁John ▁Nieder haus er ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Seattle ▁to ▁Charles ▁and ▁Ruth ▁Str ong ▁Nieder haus er ▁Charles , ▁a ▁chem istry ▁teacher , ▁and ▁Ruth , ▁a ▁hom em aker , ▁had ▁two ▁other ▁children , ▁Ruth ▁Lo i use ▁and ▁Sydney . ▁The ▁children ▁were ▁raised ▁on ▁an ▁apple ▁farm ▁in ▁rural ▁Washington . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁John ▁en rolled ▁in ▁Deep ▁Spr ings ▁College , ▁a ▁small ▁college ▁where ▁students ▁spent ▁the ▁morning ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁college ▁ran ch ▁and ▁the ▁afternoon ▁in ▁class . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁second ▁year , ▁he ▁was ▁accepted ▁into ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁and ▁offered ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁fund ▁his ▁studies . ▁The ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁just ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Corn ell ▁University , ▁John ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁a ▁steam ship ▁promotion ▁and ▁bought ▁a ▁ticket ▁for ▁a ▁summer ▁advent ure ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁far th est ▁port ▁offered , ▁L ening rad ▁( now ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ). ▁This ▁summer ▁advent ure ▁changed ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁John ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁L ening rad ▁to ▁Moscow , ▁where ▁his ▁a unt ▁lived , ▁and ▁while ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁he ▁was ▁brow sing ▁agricult ural ▁post ers ▁and ▁ser end ip it ously ▁met ▁Nikol ai ▁V av il ov , ▁a ▁prominent ▁Russian ▁plant ▁gen etic ist . ▁When ▁V av il ov ▁realized ▁that ▁John ▁knew ▁how ▁to ▁drive ▁and ▁repair ▁tra