​​Honorary Life Members​

One of the most significant ways to recognize outstanding contributions to the potato industry and to The Potato Association of America (PAA), is the awarding of Honorary Life Members (HLM) at the PAA Meeting during the Award Ceremony. This is the highest award bestowed upon an individual by the PAA. Up to six Honorary Life Members may be inducted annually to deserving individuals.

*deceased

2026

  • Robert Dwelle* (posthumous)
  • Charles Higgins
  • Mark Pavek
  • Asunta "Susie" Thompson

2025

  • Walter De Jong
  • Kent McCue

2024

  • Paul Bethke
  • Eugenia Banks
  • Jonathan Whitworth

2023

  • John Bamberg
  • Andrew Jensen
  • Loretta Mikitzel
  • Rich Novy
  • Carl Rosen

2022

  • Russell E. Ingham
  • Gregory Porter
  • Kenneth Rykbost
  • Michael Thornton

2021

  • William H. Bohl
  • David Douches
  • Steven B. Johnson
  • Robert K. Thornton

2020

  • Shelley Jansky
  • John Keeling
  • Jeff Stark
  • Richard Veilleux

2019

  • Kathleen Haynes
  • John Nordgaard
  • Nora Olsen
  • Peter Vander Zaag

2018

  • Robert "Bob" Hoopes
  • Norman Richard Knowles
  • Steve Love
  • Leigh Morrow

2017

  • Robert D. Davidson
  • Allen French
  • Jeffery C. Suttle

2016

  • William L. Campbell
  • Warren A. Henninger*
  • Edward C. Lulai
  • Willem Schrage

2015

  • Neil C. Gudmestad
  • Donald Halseth
  • Alexander Pavlista
  • Gary Secor

2014

  • Charles R. Brown*
  • Phillip Nolte
  • Samuel J. Thornton
  • James F. Zalewski*

2013

  • Robert H. Coffin
  • Joseph F. Guenthner

2012

  • Phillip B. Hamm
  • David H. Lambert
  • Jiwan P. Palta

2011

  • Gregg Halverson
  • Larry K. Hiller

2010

  • Danny C. Hane
  • David G. Holm
  • Steven R. James
  • Jeffery A. Wyman*

2009

  • Dennis Johnson
  • Rudra Singh*
  • T. Richard Tarn

2008

  • Keith A. Kelling
  • Susan B. "Rikki" Sterrett

2007

  • John P. Helgeson
  • Gale E. Kleinkopf
  • Walter R. Stevenson

2006

  • Melvin R. Henninger
  • Melvin E. Martin
  • Harold W. "Bud" Platt
  • Joe Sowokinos

2005

  • Larry K. Binning
  • George C.C. Tai*

2004

  • Oscar A. Gutbrod
  • Alvin R. Mosley
  • Mary L. Powelson*

2003

  • Dennis L. Corsini*
  • J. Creighton Miller, Jr.*
  • Pete Weingartner

2002

  • Franklin R. Fronek*
  • Alvin R. Reeves*

2001

  • William R. Cotton*
  • Hielke "Henry" De Jong
  • Alberto Salas*
  • Steven A. Slack

2000

  • Frank L. Haynes, Jr.*
  • Duane A. Preston*
  • Joseph B. Sieczka*
  • Ronald E. Voss

1999

  • Bill B. Brodie*
  • Kenneth G. Proudfoot*
  • Lind L. Sanford

1998

  • Bryce L. Farnsworth*
  • Douglas J. Johansen*
  • Ronald D. Offutt*

1997

  • Donald G. Anderson*
  • Dale R. Hensel*
  • Edwin S. Plissey*
  • Masa Tsukamoto*

1996

  • Don Kichefski*
  • Miles Willard*

1995

  • David Curwen*
  • Lawrence A. Thibodeau*

1994

  • Florian Lauer
  • Robert L. Mercer*
  • Robert L. Sanders

1993

  • Jim Davis*
  • Robert W. Goth*
  • Paul H. Orr*
  • Dennis Zeloski

1992

  • Henri Gemereux*
  • Kenneth W. Knutson
  • G. Wallace McCain*
  • Harrison McCain*

1991

  • James E. Bryan*
  • Joseph J. Pavek*
  • Eugene C. Wittmeyer*
  • Donald A. Young*

1990

  • Elmer E. Ewing
  • Bertrand Forest*
  • Wilbur A. Gould*
  • Robert B. O'Keefe*

1989

  • Richard W. Chase*
  • Monty D. Harrison
  • John G. Hawkes*
  • Gene Shaver*

1988

  • Arthur Kelman*
  • Robert E. Thorton

1987

  • Willy M. Iritani*
  • Donald C. Nelson*
  • Carlos Ochoa*

1986

  • William R. Corrin*
  • Myron "Mike" D. Groskopp*
  • Edward D. Jones*
  • Stanley J. Peloquin*

1985

  • Jimmy S. Gregory*
  • Joe L. Harrington*
  • Nelson Estrada Ramos*
  • John A. Schoenemann*

1984

  • Ray H. Carter*
  • Thomas Houghton, Jr.*
  • Hugh J. Murphy*
  • Robert L. Plaisted

1983

  • Nell Mondy*
  • Henry Uihlein II*
  • Felix M. Zeloski*

1982

  • Robert H. Johansen*
  • Edward F. Johnston*

1981

  • J. Ewen Campbell*
  • Charles Cunningham*
  • Jay G. Garner*
  • N.S. "Bud" Wright*

1980

  • Thomas H. Hankins*
  • "Gary" Richard Johnston*
  • Warren Trank*
  • Raymon E. Webb*

1979

  • Paul N. Mosher*
  • L.W. Nielsen*
  • James O. Watts*

1978

  • Rodney Hastings*
  • Floyd Lower*
  • Earl F. Spencer*

1976

  • Richard L. Sawyer*
  • Mary V. Zaehringer*

1975

  • James Munro*
  • Geddes W. Simpson*

1974

  • Frank Garrett*
  • Elizabeth Murphy*

1973

  • Richard E. Goodin*
  • Robert E. Nylund*

1972

  • James Kraus*
  • John R. Simplot*

1971

  • Arden Burbidge*
  • Robert Kunkel*
  • Wilfred R. Mills*
  • Robert Treadway*

1970

  • Frank Clark*
  • Elmer Pifer*
  • Orrin Turnquist*
  • George Woodbury*

1969

  • Miles Brown*
  • Paul Eastman*
  • Donald Merriam*
  • Walter Sparks*

1968

  • Arthur Hawkins*
  • William Hooker*
  • William Hoyman*
  • Melvin Rominski*

1967

  • Robert Akeley*
  • Carl Eide*
  • Robert Hougas*
  • Harry Umphrey*

1966

  • Theodore Dykstra*
  • Lawrence Schaal*
  • Lyman Wright*
  • Lewis Young*

1965

  • Claude Botkin*
  • Martin Cardenas*
  • John Niederhauser*

1964

  • Henry M. Darling*
  • Cecil W. Frutchey*
  • Frank L. Westfall*

1963

  • Geoffrey V. Houghland*
  • Wesley F. Porter*
  • Nathaniel A. Talmage*

1962

  • John C. Campbell*
  • Arthur H. Eddins*
  • James D. Swan*

1961

  • Sam Kennedy*
  • Julian C. Miller*
  • Gustav H. Reiman*

1960

  • Russell H. Larson*
  • Ben Picha*
  • Ora Smith*

1959

  • George Cockerham*
  • Donald J. MacLeod*
  • Norman M. Parks*

1958

  • John Bushnell*
  • Frank W. Hussey*
  • Ernest J. Wheeler*

1957

  • William Black*
  • Reiner Bonde*
  • Frederick J. Neyer*

1956

  • Kris P. Bemis*
  • C.L. Fitch*
  • James C. Milward*
  • Ted Still*

1955

  • Wilbur C. Edmundson*
  • Karl H. Fernow*
  • Albert E. Mercker*
  • James W. Scannell*

1954

  • Donald Folsom*
  • Henry C. Moore*
  • A.J. Tolaas*
  • Harvey O. Werner*

1953

  • John S. Bacon*
  • Frank A. Krantz*
  • E. "Dick" L. Newdick*
  • Stanley G. Peppin

1952

  • Harold J. Evans*
  • Frederick J. Stevenson*

1951

  • William H. Martin*
  • John Tucker*

1950

  • Earle V. Hardenburg*
  • Andrew Robbie*

1949

  • Donald Reddick*
  • Eugene S. Schultz*

1947

  • Clark F. Clark*
  • William Stuart*