College of Ag Unveils Hall of Honor; Seeks 2006 Nominees

With help from Utah agribusiness, Utah State University's College of Agriculture has launched a new exhibit to highlight accomplishments of distinguished alumni. The college is currently accepting nominations for 2006 honorees.

 

In a brief ceremony Dec. 6, representatives from the agribusiness industry and members of USU’s College of Agriculture Alumni Association cut a blue ribbon to officially open the college’s Alumni Hall of Honor display. Established in 1999 and already with 14 members, the Hall of Honor recognizes outstanding alumni of the 117-year-old college.

 

"The opening of this exhibit represents a great day in the history of the College of Agriculture, as we now have a way to recognize and display the names of college alumni who have made a tremendous difference in society at home and abroad," said COA Alumni Association President John W. Diamond of Clinton, Utah. “As this Hall of Honor grows in stature, we will continue acknowledging the great tradition of this college, and the many outstanding men and women who have graduated from it and brought honor to it and the university through their distinguished careers.”

 

Current Hall of Honor members, in order of induction, include the late C.A. “Tony” Ernstrom, dairy food scientist; potato pathologist Robert Kunkel of Pullman, Wash., the late George B. Caine, USU professor and dairy breeding pioneer; the late Doyle Matthews, former College of Agriculture dean; Former Iranian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States Ardeshir Zahedi of Montreux, Switzerland; pioneer artificial organ veterinary surgeon Don B. Olsen of Salt Lake City; ag chemist and philanthropist Dale W. Young of Brigham City, Utah; former U.S. Bureau of Land Management administrator Robert Nielsen of Aptos, Calif.; U.S. Agency for International Development agronomist John E. Osguthorpe of Salt Lake City; horticulturalist Sylvan Wittmer of Logandale, Nev.; L. Page Teichert, International Division president emeritus, Kraft Foods, of Poway, Calif.; Gary H. Richardson, former USU food science professor, of Logan, Utah; John E. Butcher, former USU livestock professor and nutrition researcher, of Portland, Ore.; and biotechnologist Niranjan R. Gandhi of River Hills, Wis. 

 

Diamond said Western AgCredit of South Jordan, Utah, and Intermountain Farmers Association of Salt Lake City were key contributors to the exhibit, which was designed and built by Insight Exhibits of Salt Lake City.

 

“We are, indeed, indebted to (Western AgCredit and Intermountain Farmers Association) for their strong support of the college and agriculture generally,” he said.

 

Hall of Honor members are nominated by fellow alumni. Three more alumni will be inducted in spring 2006 and nominations are currently being accepted. For more information, contact Vic Saunders at 435-797-2208 or vic.saunders@usu.edu