Grout was born near
Newfane, Vermont. In 1890, he received his
Bachelor of Philosophy from the
University of Vermont, graduating with his childhood friend
Marshall Avery Howe. After acquiring his doctorate at
Columbia University in 1897, he turned to teaching at various locations. From 1908 to 1930, he taught at
Curtis High School in
Staten Island. After his retirement, he continued to teach summer bryology courses at the
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. His primary focus was mosses, which he developed an interest in during high school. Initially, his doctoral research concerned marine algae under
Nathaniel Lord Britton, but he switched to the study of the moss genus
Brachythecium under
Elizabeth Gertrude Britton. Grout was also the first editor of
The Bryologist, which evolved from a serial started with
Willard Nelson Clute. He wrote numerous papers on the topic of mosses. Grout died in
Bradenton, Florida. ==Selected publications==