Awards for Outstanding Service to Illinois Agriculture
1940 Simon E. Lantz State Senator
1941 Frank O. Lowden Governor of Illinois
1942 Eugene D. Funk Plant Breeder
1943 Sam H. Thompson President, American Farm Bureau
1944 J. R. Fulkerson Farm Leader
1945 H. H. Parke Farm Leader
1946 Earl C. Smith President, Illinois Farm Bureau
1947 W. L. Burlison Agronomist
1948 Eugene A. Eckert Master, Illinois Grange
1949 H. P. Rusk Dean, College of Agriculture
1950 M. L. Mosher Farm Management Specialist
1951 Harper Sibley Trustee, Sibley Estate
1952 Royal Oakes Prominent Farmer
1953 D. Howard Doane Pioneer Farm Manager
1954 Robert R. Hudelson Dean, College of Agriculture
1955 James Holbert Corn Breeder
1956 H.C.M. Case Agricultural Economist
1957 Frank Z. Ames Farm Manager
1958 W.W. McLaughlin State Director of Agriculture
1959 Charles B. Shuman President, American Farm Bureau
1960 Charles L. Stewart Land Economist
1961 Thomas Roberts, Sr. Seed Improvement
1962 Frank W. Bill Newspaper Farm Editor
1963 Paul C. Johnson Editor, Prairie Farmer
1964 Leslie E. Mathers Livestock Breeder
1965 J. B. Cunningham Extension Specialist
1966 Louis B. Howard Dean, College of Agriculture
1967 R.J. Laible VP, Funk Bros. Seed
1968 Earl M. Hughes Educator, Businessman
1969 Chester H. Becker General Farm Manager, FS, Inc.
1970 Jesse M. Dowell, Sr. Farm Manager
1971 Ralph E. Nowlan President, Federal Land Bank
1972 Frank H. Shuman Farm Advisor, Illinois Extension
1973 Albert Gehlbach Pork Producer
1974 Russel T. Odell Soil Scientist, Educator
1975 Fay M. Sims Farm Management Educator
1976 Orion Samuelson Agricultural Services Director, WGN
1977 William J. Kuhfuss President, American Farm Bureau
1978 Richard E. Bell Assistant Sec. of Agriculture
1979 Orville G. Bentley Dean, College of Agriculture
1980 Andrew J. Berwick Farm Manager & Rural Appraiser
1981 James C. Thomson Editor, Prairie Farmer
1982 W.N. Thompson Farm Manager, Educator
1983 Harold B. Steele Farm Bureau President
1984 John R. Block U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
1985 Dr. Paul Doby Livestock Health Improvement Official
1986 J.M. Holcomb Farm Management Consultant
1987 D.F. Wilken Farm Management Specialist
1988 Glenn Oertley Farm Manager & Rural Appraiser
1989 Edward R. Madigan U.S. House Agriculture Committee
1990 Leonard Gardner Govt. Affairs, Illinois Farm Bureau
1991 Karl E. Gardner Associate Dean, College of Agriculture
1992 Eldon E. Witt Agricultural Educator
1993 John White III Farm Bureau President
1994 Warren Wessels Assistant Dean, College of Agriculture
1995 Ray Hankes Pork Producer, Industry Leader
1996 John Rundquist Farm Leader
1997 Darrel Miller University of Illinois Agronomist
1998 David Chicoine Dean, U of I College of ACES
1999 Art Sechrest Farm Broadcaster
2000 Jim Kinsella McLean County Farmer
2001 Max Armstrong Farm Broadcaster
2002 John W. Maitland, Jr. Illinois State Senator
2003 Darrel Good University of Illinois Educator
2004 Michael Williams Agribusiness Industry Leader
2005 Harold D. Guither, Ph. D. Farm Management Educator AAC
2006 Charles E. Olson, Ph.D. Assistant Dean, University of Illinois
2007 Ron Warfield Illinois Farm Bureau
2008 Robert Hoeft, Ph. D. University of Illinos Educator
2009 Robert Easter University of Illinois Dean
2009 Douglass Reeves Pioneer Hi-Bred International
2010 Earl Hughes Hughes Seed Farms
2011 Joyce Watson Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation
2012 Phil Nelson Illinois Farm Bureau
2013 Robert, William Wyffels Wyffels Hybrids, Inc.
2014 Josh Flint Editor, Prairie Farmer
2015 Bruce Sherrick, Ph.D. University of Illinois Educator
2016 Patrick Tomlinson Ag Spectrum Company
2018 Robert Pritchard Retired State Legislator
2019 Carroll Merry, Countryside Marketing, Inc.
2020 – Carroll Merry, Countryside Marketing, Inc.
2021 – Richard Goebrt, Jr., Illinois Farm Bureau
2022 – Gary Schnitkey, Ph. D., University of Illinois
2023 – Holly Spangler, Editor, Prairie Farmer
2024 – Alan Hopkins, Pioneer Seed Co.
2025 – Maria Boerngen, Ph.D., Illinois State University
