Foundation Irises

"Scientists consider a species to be biologically successful on the basis of how well it carries on its progeny. Cultivars are biologically successful if they produce many descendants. Some produce many more then others. These high performers can be considered the foundation of the populations we presently see. I call them Foundation Irises."---Bob Pries

One might expect that highly esteemed Iris such as Dykes Medal winners would all be Foundation Irises but often they are not. And a few irises that have never won high awards have still been honored for their contribution to the gene pool by the AIS board crowning them with the Board Of Director's Award. But this has been very few.

Winners of the AIS Board of Directors Award

Year	Iris	Type	Hybridizer	As pod parent	As pollen parent	All descendants*
2021	'Chubby Cheeks'	SDB	Paul Black			246
1987	'White Swirl'	SIB	Fred Cassebeer			101
1975	'Tobacco Road'	TB	Rudolph Kleinsorge			129
1973	'Snow Flurry'	TB	Clara Rees			517

Note *All descendants/offspring includes only those that show this cultivar in listed registration parentage, in other words probably a parent within first 4 generations.

Some other possibilities

Year	Iris	Type	Hybridizer	As pod parent	As pollen parent	All descendants*
1979	'Sky Hooks'	TB	Manley Osborne			315

Table of Dykes Medal Winners showing their relative contributions to the Gene pool. Note irises before 1940 are underestimated and in need of review.

Year* *Iris	Type	As pod parent	As pollen parent	All offspring*
'Don't Doubt Dalton' 2023 - Tom Burseen				1
'Football Hero' 2022 - Lynda Miller				4
'Daring Deception' 2021 - Thomas Johnson				16
'Reckless Abandon' 2021 - Keith Keppel				86
'Bottle Rocket' 2019 - Michael Sutton				33
'Haunted Heart' 2018 - Keith Keppel				127
'Montmartre' 2017 - Keith Keppel				37
'Swans In Flight' 2016 - Robert Hollingworth				2
'Gypsy Lord' 2015 - Keith Keppel				187
'Dividing Line' 2014 - Chuck Bunnell				0

'That's All Folks' 2013 - William Maryott				7
'Florentine Silk' 2012 - Keith Keppel				11
'Drama Queen' 2011 - Keith Keppel				46
'Paul Black' 2010 - Tom Johnson				55
'Golden Panther' 2009 - Rick Tasco				46
'Starwoman' 2008 - Marky Smith				3
'Queen's Circle' 2007 - Fred Kerr				16
'Sea Power' 2006 - Keith Keppel				101
'Splashacata' 2005 - Rick Tasco				29
'Crowned Heads' 2004 - Keith Keppel				40

'Celebration Song' 2003 - Schreiners				91
'Mesmerizer' 2002 - Byers				229
'Yaquina Blue' 2001 - Schreiners				64
'Stairway To Heaven' 2000 - Larry Lauer				43
'Hello Darkness' 1999 - Schreiners				150
'Conjuration' 1998 - Byers				251
'Thornbird' 1997 - Byers				142
'Before The Storm' 1996 - Innerst				37
'Honky Tonk Blues' 1995 - Schreiners				221
'Silverado' 1994 - Schreiners				260

'Edith Wolford' 1993 - Ben Hager				148
'Dusky Challenger' 1992 - Schreiner				103
'Everything Plus' 1991 - Dave Niswonger				19
'Jesse's Song' 1990 - Williamson				18
1989 Not Awarded
'Titan's Glory' 1988 - Schreiners				109
1987 Not Awarded
'Song Of Norway' 1986 - Walter Luihn				129
'Beverly Sills' 1985 - Ben Hager				89
'Victoria Falls' 1984 - Schreiners				117

'Ruffled Ballet' 1983 - Elvan Roderick				46
'Vanity' 1982 - Ben Hager				198
'Brown Lasso' 1981 - Buckles-Niswonger				40
'Mystique' 1980 - Joe Ghio				114
'Mary Frances' 1979 - Larry Gaulter				74
'Bride's Halo' 1978 - Mohr				44
'Dream Lover' 1977 - E. Tams				45
'Kilt Lilt' 1976 - Gibson				36
'Pink Taffeta' 1975 - Nate Rudolph				143
'Shipshape' 1974 - Sanford Babson				74

'New Moon' 1973 - Neva Sexton				182
'Babbling Brook' 1972 - Keith Keppel				61
'Debby Rairdon' 1971 - Kuntz				49
'Skywatch' 1970 - Benson				43
1969 Not Awarded
'Stepping Out' 1968 - Schreiners				201
Winter Olympics' 1967 - Opal Brown				149
'Rippling Waters' 1966 - Orville Fay				387
'Pacific Panorama' 1965 - Neva Sexton				54
'Allegiance' 1964 - Paul Cook				184

'Amethyst Flame' 1963 - Schreiners				122
'Whole Cloth' 1962 - Paul Cook				315
'Eleanor's Pride' 1961 - Watkins				43
1960 Not Awarded
'Swan Ballet' 1959 - Muhlestein				47
'Blue Sapphire' 1958 - Schreiners				54
'Violet Harmony' 1957 - Lowry				59
'First Violet' 1956 - DeForest				60
'Sable Night' 1955 - Paul Cook				77
'Mary Randall' 1954 - Orville Fay				348

'Truly Yours' 1953- Orville Fay					31
'Argus Pheasant' 1952 - DeForest				47
'Cherie' 1951 - Hall				132
'Blue Rhythm' 1950 - Whiting				78
'Helen McGregor' 1949 - Graves				115
'Ola Kala' 1948 - Sass				144
Chivalry' 1947 - Wills				261
1946 Not Awarded
'Elmohr' 1945 - Loomis				43
'Spun Gold' 1944 - Gultzbeck				27

'Prairie Sunset' 1943 - Sass				120
'Great Lakes' 1942 - Cousins				167
'The Red Douglas' 1941 - Sass				24
'Wabash' 1940 - Williamson				72
'Rosy Wings' 1939 - Gage				11
'Copper Lustre' 1938 - Kirkland				6
'Missouri' 1937 - Grinter				74
'Mary Geddes' 1936 - Mary G. Stahlman				9
'Sierra Blue' 1935 - Essig				13
1934 Not Awarded

'Coralie' 1933 - Ayres				0
'Rameses' 1932 - Hans Sass				34
1931 Not Awarded
1930 Not Awarded
'Dauntless' 1929 - Connell				6
1928 Not Awarded
'San Francisco' 1927 - Mohr	TB	26	14	70/32

Some other possibilities---Unawarded and prior to 1950

Publication Year	Iris	Type	Hybridizer	As pod parent	As pollen parent	All descendants*
1885	'Amas'	TB	Sir Michael foster	9	14	27
		Immortality				34
		Unicorn					38
		Clarence

Case See also Foundation Irises SDBs