2010 Honorary Life Member Selections

DR. DAN HANE

Dr. Dan Hane spent most of his career not far from the family farm. He grew up in Connell WA but spent more than 30 years at Oregon State University’s Hermiston Research & Extension Center.

He received his BS degree in Crop and Soil Science from Washington State University and then went to Colorado State University, earning a master degree in agronomy. Not until much later in his career did he earn a PhD in Crop Science from Oregon State University.

After earning his master’s degree from Colorado State, Dan spent 5 years at another OSU, Oklahoma State, before returning to the Pacific Northwest and joining Oregon State University at Hermiston in 1978. Dan has seen a lot of potatoes. He was originally hired to be a “research assistant” specializing in potatoes but specifically to assist and support the Tri state potato variety develop program at the Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center. Ultimately promoted to Senior Instructor, he and his colleagues were responsible for naming more than 30 new potato cultivars, including several that are widely planted, Alturas, Ranger Russet and Umatilla Russet. He also has authored or co-authored over 30 referred journal articles and over 100 extension publications during his career, most of which were dealing with potato. He truly became an expert on potato variety development, PVY, soil fumigation, and much more.

Through these years Dan saw the importance of the Potato Association of America and was an active participant of PAA and other national organizations/meetings related to potato. He was a common participant at the annual PAA meeting for 30 years. He served a member of the Graduate Student Awards Committee, long time member of the Production and Management section, and a member of the Finance Committee. Dan reviewed many American Journal of Potato Research articles. Dan has also been active in WERA-089 (formerly WCC-89), attending all or nearly all WRC-89 meetings. He served on the Local Arrangement Committee for PAA 2010.

Dan’s dedication, collaboration, and concern for the industry have also been seen through several awards he has received. Oregon State University recognized him with several others, awarding him the Oldfield/Jackman Team Award for their role in helping to understand and manage a new potato insect to our area, the potato tuber worm. In addition, he and others were also recognized by Oregon State University by receiving the Oregon Potato Variety Development Team Award. The potato growers of Oregon recently (2009) awarded him the Oregon Potato Commission Life Time Achievement Award, their highest honor. Lastly, he was a member of the team Award of Excellence from the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (2008) for contributing to WERA-89, potato viruses.

While Dan’s has a long list of accomplishments, if asked about his career, he would more likely talk about his opportunity these years have provided to become acquainted and develop friendships with so many of his colleagues (or “potato heads”) and the chance to work with and help potato growers in Oregon and elsewhere.

Philip B. Hamm, Nominator

DR. DAVID G. HOLM

David G. Holm was born in Southeast Idaho and raised on a family farm near Shelley in Bingham County. Potatoes, grain, and alfalfa were the primary crops raised. He credits his Dad and Grandfather with instilling in him an interest in potatoes, and his 7th grade science teacher with helping him decide on a career in science when he challenged the class to start thinking about the future and what they wanted to do for a living.

Dr. Holm received his B.S. (1972) and M.S. (1974) from the University of Idaho and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (1977). Dave began his professional career and is currently a Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Colorado State University located at the San Luis Valley Research Center, where he served as Superintendent from 1983–1997. Dave’s principal research responsibilities include the breeding and selection of new potato cultivars through traditional hybridization methods. Development of seed stocks of advanced selections for grower evaluation and seed increase is also an integral part of his program. He maintains close interaction with various research, extension, and production segments of the potato industry in Colorado and other major potato production areas of the US. He considers these relationships critical to the release and successful adoption of new cultivars. In 1979, he initiated the Colorado Potato Breeding and Selection Program, which previously had been solely a selection program receiving seedling tubers from other programs. During his tenure, 13 cultivars have been released. These include Sangre (1982), Ute Russet (1986), Russet Nugget (1988), Chipeta (1993), Keystone Russet (2000), Silverton Russet (2000), Rio Grande Russet (2004), Colorado Rose (2004), Mountain Rose (2005), Purple Majesty (2005), Canela Russet (2007), Rio Colorado (2007), and Mesa Russet (2009). He has cooperated with other universities, the USDA-ARS, and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada in the release of another eight cultivars. These include Gemchip (1989), Frontier Russet (1990), Ranger Russet (1991), Century Russet (1995), Russet Legend (1999), Sierra Gold (2002), Alta Crown (2003), and Glacier Fryer (2004). He also has developed five clonal selections of Sangre and Russet Norkotah. Colorado State University releases accounted for 61% of the 56,000 acres planted to fall potatoes in Colorado in 2009.

Dave’s first exposure to the PAA was when the annual meeting was held in Idaho Falls, ID in 1964. Dr. Julian C. Miller, Sr. and Melvin Rominski (Stark Farms) made a field visit to his Dad’s farm to observe the potato cultivar La Chipper developed by Dr. Miller. The seed had been purchased from Mr. Rominski. Dave became a member of the PAA in 1975. He is a member of the Breeding and Genetics, Certification, and Physiology Sections and has served in various capacities including section leadership, committee membership, and as a director. He and his wife are Platinum Club Donors for the endowment fund.

Dave has served on numerous university and departmental committees at CSU. He has served as the Colorado representative to the Western Regional Coordinating Committee for Potato Variety Development since 1982, and has been a member of the Southwestern Regional Potato Cultivar Development Project since it’s inception in 1997. Dave enjoys mentoring students through work experiences and/or science projects. He has served since 1995 on the San Luis Valley Regional Science Fair Board of Directors, currently as President, and has served as a science fair judge for many years. He has fostered sponsorship of three Potato Research Awards and a Potato Research Internship at the regional fair. He has served on the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair Board of Directors since 1996, including 2 years as President. He also helped initiate and has coordinated judging for special horticulture awards at the state level. Dave has served the Monte Vista School District in various capacities, including school board member. He also served on a Monte Vista city committee to develop and execute a xeriscape landscape design for the San Luis Valley Information Center. Dave still finds time for his avocation, iris breeding, inspired by Dr. Joe Pavek, a former mentor.

Dave and his wife, Vonda, have been married for 34 years. They have two children, Cameron and Ansley, and two grandchildren.

~Creighton Miller, Nominator

STEVEN R. JAMES

Steven R. James (Steve) joined the Central Oregon Experiment Station (COES) in Redmond as an ‘Experimental Biology Technician’ in 1975. His duties were manifold but centered primarily on forage and potato research conducted by Dr. Malcolm Johnson, potato project leader and Superintendent of the COES. After Dr. Johnson’s retirement in the 80’s, Steve assumed responsibility for the potato project and continued as Central Oregon’s ‘go-to’ potato leader for the remainder of his tenure. Steve was promoted to Faculty Research Assistant in 1984 and to Senior Faculty Research Assistant (OSU’s highest non-doctoral research rank) in 1988. He assumed the additional role of ‘Central Oregon Potato Extension Agent’ in 1990. In 2006 he was honored as OSU’s ‘Outstanding Faculty Research Assistant’, a campus-wide award richly deserved. Steve retired in 2009.

Steve James helped instigate many improvements in Central Oregon potato research during his tenure. In the mid-80’s he provided overall leadership for the design and construction of the Powell Butte Unit of the COES. The Powell Butte site, via Steve, has been a major contributor to western potato breeding and variety development since the beginning. During the last two decades Steve annually grew 50–80,000 single-hills and commensurate numbers of multi-hill plots for the Oregon breeding program. Between 60% and 80% of the progeny came from russet crosses by ARS personnel at Aberdeen, Idaho; the remainder (mostly colored-flesh and disease-resistant stocks) were provided by Prosser ARS workers and OSU Crop and Soil Science cooperators.

No breeding effort can be successful without a sound seed increase program. Thanks to Steve that was never a problem in Oregon. He increased, maintained and distributed good seed of all OSU selections from the very beginning of the program until his departure in ‘09. For many years he also provided seed of all entries for all Tri-state and Western Regional trials throughout the west. He continually maintained a vigorous, cooperative relationship with growers and processors wishing to test Oregon advanced selections. Steve coordinated Oregon State-wide variety trials, prepared comprehensive summary reports, and typically chaired annual meetings to identify survivors and entries for future trials. He held every position available in the Oregon, Tri-state and Western Regional programs, some more than once. He developed and maintained the Western Regional potato variety database, one of the nation’s very first web-based efforts. Steve actively participated in the naming and release of some 35 western varieties with more to come.

Steve James displayed a superior service ethic throughout his career and ‘made a difference’ at all levels—locally, regionally and nationally. Within Oregon, he provided assistance to OSU and the industry by many years of service on the Oregon Seed Certification Potato Advisory Board. He also served as Secretary to the Central Oregon Potato Growers’ Association and the Central Oregon Seed Grower’s Association. As Central Oregon Potato Extension Agent, Steve provided assistance to growers throughout the state and lead in the planning of numerous local and state-wide grower meetings.

Steven R. James is a familiar presence to PAA members, not only as a regular attendee at section meetings and paper sessions, but also as the Association’s Secretary from 1999 through 2006. As PAA Secretary, he instituted a number of procedural improvements in developing and running PAA annual meetings.

Those of us who cooperated closely with Steve admire him immensely. He is imminently capable, hard-working, dependable—and absolutely irreplaceable in the short-term. While others may assume his duties, none can initially match the unique combination of knowledge, abilities and character traits that he encompasses. He has been a devoted student of that magnificent vegetable, the potato, for more than 35 years and few studied more diligently. He served OSU, Oregon and potato growers and processors in a truly memorable fashion. The potato and producers and consumers thereof, and all of us who worked closely with him owe Steven R. James a lasting debt of gratitude.

Alvin Mosley, Nominator

DR. JEFFREY A. WYMAN

Jeffrey A. Wyman was born and raised in England, The United Kingdom. He received his BSc degree with Honors in 1966 from Manchester University majoring in Zoology. Jeff was awarded a Fullbright Scholarship for 1966–1971 which allowed him to study at the University of Wisconsin where he received his M.S. and his Ph.D. degrees in 1968 and 1971, respectively, majoring in entomology. He served as a Science Research Council Fellow at the University of Bath (England) from 1972–1973 and Research Specialist at the University of Wisconsin from 1973–74. Jeffrey began his professional career at the University of California—Riverside as Assistant Professor of Entomology from 1974–1979. In 1979, he returned to Wisconsin where he was appointed Assistant Professor of Entomology with statewide potato and vegetable extension responsibilities along with responsibilities in research and teaching. He advanced through the ranks of Associate and Full Professor until his retirement in 2005 when he was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor. His research and extension work covered a wide array of crops in the state including potato, snap beans, peas, carrots, onions and mint developing comprehensive insect management programs for these crops. His research and extension programs created the broad knowledge base needed to develop and implement sustainable management systems that were economically and environmentally sound for potato and vegetable production. Among Jeff’s many accomplishments in refining integrated insect management programs, development of the Healthy Grown concept stands among his finest. He was an integral member of the Wisconsin potato and vegetable team and contributed to the release of a succession of software packages for grower, county agent and IPM consultant use that included the “Potato Crop Management” and “Wisdom” software which have been used extensively in Wisconsin and shared with growers throughout the world. Due in large part to these efforts by Jeff and the UW Extension team and adoption of innovative practices by the Wisconsin potato industry, WI is an acknowledged innovator and leader in the grower adoption of IPM practices that reduce pesticide use in potato and vegetable crops. These team efforts were recognized by the World Wildlife Fund and EPA leading to the development of the award-winning “Healthy Grown” program and the setting of industry standards for pesticide use as well as thresholds for pesticide toxicity and adoption of IPM practices. Dr. Wyman is also a noted international authority on the use of reduced-risk insecticides in effective crop management programs. His research has contributed to numerous emergency and local insecticide labels, experimental use permits and the early national registration of important insect management tools for potato and vegetable crops.

Jeff is recognized by growers as a responsive and trustworthy friend and valued resource to help them with their production problems. Through his numerous one-on-one grower contacts, educational meetings, workshops and field days, he has helped to change the way growers approach the management of potato and vegetable insects. He advised 15 M.S. and 16 Ph.D. students in entomology and served on numerous graduate student advisory committees within his department and college. Jeff also served on and advised numerous committees with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), Midwest Food Processors Association, Wisconsin Muck Growers’ Association, Wisconsin Mint Board and other industry groups. During the course of his career he published over 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 30 extension bulletins and 185 technical reports and abstracts.

Jeff has shared his experience and information beyond the borders of Wisconsin, presenting material in numerous potato and vegetable production areas throughout the U.S. and Canada. In the later years of his career he had the opportunity to work with potato and vegetable cropping systems in Europe, Egypt and India. Jeff received many awards over his career including Researcher of the Year (WPVGA) in 1991, 1996, and 2005; Regional Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension, North Central Branch, Entomological Society of America—1999; National Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension, Entomological society of America—2000; IR-4 Meritorious Service Award – 1998; CSREES Achievement Award for Pesticide Impact Assessment—1999; and the USDA Secretary’s Honors Award for Maintaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural Resources and Environment, Team Leader—2003. In 2009, the WPVGA inducted Jeff into the Wisconsin Potato Hall of Fame. Jeff has been an active member of the Entomological Society of America and the Potato Association of America.

~Walter R. Stevenson, Nominator