Difference: InfoMedalWister (r70 vs. r69)

The Wister Medal

The highest award given by The American Iris Society to a tall-bearded Iris

History by Clarence Mahan ....................................................related links; Awards; 2015 Wister Medal Candidates.

This medal is restricted to tall bearded (TB) irises. It is named in honor of John C. Wister (1887-1982).

John C. Wister led the organizing meeting that created the American Iris Society and became its first president, a position he held for fourteen years. He guided the society through its formative years. He was widely recognized as a man of rare management skill, leadership ability, and the highest ethical standards. R. S. Sturtevant wrote of him: "Probably few current members realize that the AIS started through the efforts and initiative of one man, John C. Wister...."

During a visit to England in 1922, Wister encouraged his many English friends to establish the British Iris Society. His contribution to the founding of the British Iris Society was formally recognized by his election as an Honorary Member and the award of the Foster Memorial Plaque. The American Iris Society awarded John Wister the Gold Medal in 1930, stating: "All Iris growers in America recognize Mr. Wister as their leader and will certainly approve the action of the Board of Directors in conferring upon him the highest recognition in their power to bestow."

John Wister was the author of four books: The Iris, Lilac Culture, Bulbs for American Gardens, and Four Seasons in Your Garden. He was the first to receive four major American horticultural awards: The Liberty Hyde Bailey Medal presented by the American Horticultural Council; the Scott Garden and Horticultural Award; the American Peony Society's A. P. Saunders Memorial Medal; and the Honor and Achievement Award of the International Lilac Society. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden presented him its Garden Medal in 1966, and that same year the Royal Horticultural Society dedicated its Daffodil and Tulip Yearbook to him, the first time an American had been so honored.

Wister was a landscape architect. He graduated from Harvard University and studied at the Harvard School of Landscape Architecture and the New Jersey Agricultural College. He served in Europe during WW I, and in his spare time visited gardens and leading horticulturists. He was secretary of the American Rose Society for many years, and was a member of some fifty horticultural societies and thirty scientific and conservation organizations. He was the first director of the Arthur Hoyt Horticultural Foundation, and designed and created the 240-acre public garden at Swarthmore College.

One of John C. Wister's endearing qualities was his modesty. He always denied that he was the founder of the American Iris Society, saying that it was the work of many people. Of himself, he said: "But I know I'm just an ordinary fellow who happened to come along at the right time." An ordinary fellow he was not. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude. John C. Wister, to a remarkable degree, created the American Iris Society's traditions.

All the other iris categories award only one medal for each year. The exception is this category, the very popular Tall Bearded (TB) iris category. There are three Wister Medals awarded each year beginning in 1998 when the number was increased. Only AIS registered judges may vote.

Article from the October 1993 Bulletin, pages 46-47, "Presenting the Wister Medal Design and its Designer".

Wister Medal History

List of Wister Medal winners - Tall Bearded (TB) Irises:

2022 2023 - 'Good Morning ‘Black Lipstick’ Sunshine' Keith Keppel Thomas Johnson	2022 = 2023 - 'Tijuana Taxi' ‘Royston Rubies’ Adam Cordes Douglas Kanarowski	2022 2023 - 'Coal Seams' ‘Chihuahuan Desert’ Howard Dash Schreiner
2021 2022 - 'Football Hero' 'Good Morning Sunshine' Lynda Miller Thomas Johnson	2021 - 2022 = 'Don't Doubt 'Tijuana Taxi' Dalton' Tom Burseen Douglas Kanarowski	2021 2022 - 'Belle Fille' 'Coal Seams' Marky Schreiner Smith
2021 - 'Volcanic Glow' 'Football Hero' Keith Keppel Lynda Miller	2021 - 'Bluebird Of Happiness' 'Don't Doubt Dalton' Paul Black Tom Burseen	2021 - 'Don't Stop 'Belle Fille' Believing' Thomas Johnson Marky Smith
'Autumn Explosion' 2021 - 'Volcanic Glow' 2019 - Keith Keppel Richard Tasco	'Daring Deception' 2021 - 2019 - Thomas Johnson'Bluebird Of Happiness' Paul Black	'Insaniac' 2021 - 2019 - Thomas Johnson'Don't Stop Believing' Thomas Johnson
'Notta Lemon' 'Autumn Explosion' 2018 2019 - Tom Burseen Richard Tasco	'Bottle Rocket' 'Daring Deception' 2019 - Thomas Johnson 2018 - Michael Sutton	'Strawberry 'Insaniac' Shake' 2019 - Thomas Johnson 2018 - Keith Keppel
''Notta Lemon'Reckless Abandon' 2017 - Keith Keppel 2018 - Tom Burseen	'Beauty Becomes 'Bottle Rocket' Her' 2017 - Paul Black 2018 - Michael Sutton	'Black Is 'Strawberry Shake' Black' 2017 - Schreiner 2018 - Keith Keppel
'Sharp Dressed Man' 'Reckless Abandon' 2017 - Keith Keppel 2016 - Thomas Johnson	'Haunted Heart' 'Beauty Becomes Her' 2016 2017 - Keith Keppel Paul Black	'Tuscan Summer' 'Black Is Black' 2017 - Schreiner 2016 - Keith Keppel
'Money In Your 'Sharp Dressed Man' Pocket' 2015 2016 - Paul Black Thomas Johnson	'Snapshot' 'Haunted Heart' 2016 - Keith Keppel 2015 - Thomas Johnson	'Temporal Anomaly' 'Tuscan Summer' 2015 2016 - Richard Tasco Keith Keppel
'Black Magic Woman' 'Money In Your Pocket' 2014 2015 - Richard Tasco Paul Black	'Magical' 'Snapshot' 2014 2015 - Joseph Ghio Thomas Johnson	'Montmartre' 'Temporal Anomaly' 2014 2015 - Keith Keppel Richard Tasco
'Absolute Treasure' 'Black Magic Woman' 2013 2014 - Richard Tasco	'Elizabethan 'Magical' Age' 2013 2014 - Lowell Baumunk Joseph Ghio	'Ink 'Montmartre' Patterns' 2013 2014 - Thomas Johnson Keith Keppel
'Gypsy Lord' 'Absolute Treasure' 2012 2013 - Keith Keppel Richard Tasco	'Kathy Chilton' 'Elizabethan Age' 2012 2013 - Frederick Kerr Lowell Baumunk	'Chief John 'Ink Patterns' Jolly' 2012 2013 - Tom Parkhill Thomas Johnson
'Florentine Silk' 'Gypsy Lord' 2011 2012 - Keith Keppel	'That's All 'Kathy Chilton' Folks' 2011 2012 - W. Maryott Frederick Kerr By J. Ghio	'Tour De France' 'Chief John Jolly' 2011 2012 - Keith Keppel Tom Parkhill
'Crackling Caldera' 'Florentine Silk' 2010 2011 - T. Aitken Keith Keppel	'Decadence' 'That's All Folks' 2010 2011 - B. Blyth W. Maryott By J. Ghio	'Wintry Sky' 'Tour De France' 2010 2011 - K. Keith Keppel
'Drama Queen' 'Crackling Caldera' 2009 2010 - K. Keppel T. Aitken	'Italian 'Decadence' Ice' 2009 2010 - A. & B. Blyth D. Cadd	'Paul Black' 'Wintry Sky' 2009 2010 - T. Johnson K. Keppel	'Slovak Prince'   2009 - A. Mego
'Heartstring Strummer' 'Drama Queen' 2008 - B. Johnson 2009 - K. Keppel	'Hollywood Nights' 'Italian Ice' 2008 - R. Duncan 2009 - A. & D. Cadd	'Millennium Falcon' 'Paul Black' 2008 - B. Kasperek 2009 - T. Johnson	'Slovak Prince' 2009 - A. Mego
'Daughter Of 'Heartstring Strummer' Stars' 2008 - B. Johnson 2007 - D. Spoon	'Ring Around 'Hollywood Nights' Rosie' 2007 2008 - R. Ernst Duncan	'Starring' 'Millennium Falcon' 2007 2008 - J. Ghio B. Kasperek
'Golden Panther' 'Daughter Of Stars' 2006 - R. Tasco 2007 - D. Spoon	'Happenstance' 'Ring Around Rosie' 2006 2007 - K. Keppel R. Ernst	'Queen's 'Starring' Circle' 2006 2007 - F. Kerr J. Ghio
'Fogbound' 'Golden Panther' 2005 2006 - K. Keppel R. Tasco	'Sea 'Happenstance' Power' 2005 2006 - K. Keppel	'Uncle Charlie' 'Queen's Circle' 2005 2006 - D. Spoon F. Kerr
'Poem 'Fogbound' Of Ecstasy' 2004 2005 - B. Hager K. Keppel	'Splashacata' 'Sea Power' 2004 2005 - R. Tasco K. Keppel	'World Premier' 'Uncle Charlie' 2004 2005 - Schreiner D. Spoon
'Crowned Heads' 'Poem Of Ecstasy' 2003 2004 - K. Keppel B. Hager	'Diabolique' 'Splashacata' 2003 2004 - Schreiner R. Tasco	'Tom Johnson' 'World Premier' 2003 2004 - P. Schreiner Black
'Gypsy Romance' 'Crowned Heads' 2002 2003 - Schreiner K. Keppel	'Jurassic 'Diabolique' Park' 2002 2003 - L. Schreiner Lauer	'Local Color' 'Tom Johnson' 2002 2003 - K. Keppel P. Black
'Fancy Woman' 'Gypsy Romance' 2001 2002 - K. Schreiner Keppel	'Pond Lily' 'Jurassic Park' 2001 2002 - E. Jones L. Lauer	'Spirit World' 'Local Color' 2001 2002 - K. Keppel
'Celebration Song' 'Fancy Woman' 2000 2001 - Schreiner's K. Keppel	'Clarence' 'Pond Lily' 2000 2001 - L. Zurbrigg E. Jones	'Mesmerizer' 'Spirit World' 2000 2001 - M. Byers K. Keppel
'Boogie Woogie' 'Celebration Song' 1999 2000 - H. Schreiner's Nichols	'Rhonda 'Clarence' Fleming' 1999 2000 - R. Mullin L. Zurbrigg	'Stairway 'Mesmerizer' To Heaven' 1999 2000 - L. Lauer M. Byers
'Conjuration' 'Boogie Woogie' 1998 1999 - M. Byers H. Nichols	'Hello Darkness' 'Rhonda Fleming' 1998 1999 - Schreiners R. Mullin	'Yaquina Blue' 'Stairway To Heaven' 1998 1999 - Schreiners L. Lauer
'Acoma' 'Conjuration' 1997 1998 - T. Magee M. Byers	'Thornbird' 'Hello Darkness' 1996 1998 - M. Schreiners Byers	'Before The 'Yaquina Blue' Storm' 1995 1998 - S. Schreiners Innerst
'Honky 'Acoma' Tonk Blues' 1994 1997 - Schreiners T. Magee	'Silverado' 'Thornbird' 1993 1996 - Schreiners M. Byers	'Before The Storm' 1995 - S. Innerst
'Honky Tonk Blues' 1994 - Schreiners	'Silverado' 1993 - Schreiners

-- Main.RPries - 2009-12-24

I	Attachment	Action	Size	Date	Who	Comment
pdf	1993_10_AIS 1993 Presenting Wister Medal.pdf	manage	739 K	02 May 2023 - 11:40	Main.dougchyz	Article, Presenting Wister Medal
jpg_edit	John_C_WisterAIS_Bulletin250July1983pg70_copy.jpg_edit	manage	25 K	26 Aug 2010 - 17:43	UnknownUser	AIS slide
pdf	Wister Medal History.pdf	manage	1 MB	10 Jun 2023 - 15:14	Main.dougchyz	Wister Medal History
jpg	Wister-Medal-TB-SM_edited_edited-1.jpg	manage	60 K	26 Aug 2010 - 17:36	UnknownUser	AIS slides
jpg	Wister-Randolph-atPresbyGarden_edit_edited-1.jpg	manage	49 K	26 Aug 2010 - 17:55	UnknownUser	AIS slides