bˈɔːɹn ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ, ɪn tɹˈɔɪ, oʊhˈaɪoʊ, wˈɛlz stˈʌdid bˈɑːtəni æɾ oʊhˈaɪoʊ stˈeɪt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi, ɹᵻsˈiːvd hɪz dˈɑːktɚɹˌeɪt æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊ, ænd tˈɔːt æɾə nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾiz bᵻfˌoːɹ hiː kˈeɪm tə nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə stˈeɪt kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪntiːn.
Born in 1884, in Troy, Ohio, Wells studied botany at Ohio State University, received his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and taught at a number of universities before he came to North Carolina State College in 1919.