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The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal

Debaillon Medal The highest award given by the American Iris Society strictly to Louisiana Irises. ....................related links; Awards ; 2015 DeBaillon Medal Candidates.

History

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940).

Mary Swords DeBaillon was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, and she lived in Louisiana all her life. She and her husband, Dan DeBaillon, lived on a fifteen-acre tract 5 miles from Lafayette, Louisiana. She transformed the grounds of her home into a garden renowned for its exquisite beauty and its large collection of native Louisiana plants. She had been growing a few native irises when, in 1932, she visited Caroline Dorman's home, "Briarwood" and saw the large collection of different forms of Hexagonae irises blooming in the garden. Mary DeBaillon realized how varied these irises were and what lovely garden plants they were. She then set out to collect every form of Louisiana's native irises that she could find.

Mary DeBaillon amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector. She encouraged collection of the indigenous iris species to save them as civilization encroached on the swamps and bayous. A year after her death the iris enthusiasts in Lafayette organized an iris society and named it the Mary Swords DeBaillon Iris Society. This society became the Louisiana Iris Society in 1948.

The highest award an LA could receive from 1948 until 1985 was the Mary Swords DeBaillon Award. During that period, SLI was an independent unit with no affiliation whatsoever with the American Iris Society (AIS). SLI became a Cooperating Organization of AIS in 1986.

After that date the AWARD was discontinued and replaced with the Mary Swords DeBallion MEDAL, the highest award exclusively for Louisiana Iris. The MEDAL is a part of the AIS award system. All AIS medalists, including the Debaillon medalist, are elegible for the Dykes Medal, the highest award presented by AIS.


List of DeBaillon Medal winners - Louisiana (LA) Irises:

  'Melody Wilhoit'
2023 - Hooker Nichols
'Watermelon Wizard'
2022 - Hooker Nichols
'When Pigs Fly'
2021 - Patrick O'Connor
'Rooster'
2021 - Ron Betzer
'Dark Dude'
2019 - Ron Betzer
'Lemon Zest'
2019 - Kevin Vaughn
'Michigan Belle'
2019 - Jill Copeland
'Deja Voodoo'
2018 - Patrick O'Connor
'Our Friend Dick'
2017 - Ron Killingsworth
'Blue Mountain Mist'
2016 - Bernard Pryor
'Seminole Sunrise'
2015 - Harry Wolford
'Edna Claunch'
2014 - Harry Wolford
Edna Claunch
'James Faith'
2013 - M. D. Faith
James Faith
'Ginny's Choice'
2012 - Wayland Rudkin
Ginny's Choice
'Raspberry Rilla'
2011 - Rilla Hickerson
Raspberry Rilla

2010 'Night Thunder' - R. Morgan 2009 'Henry Rowlan' -M. D. Faith 2008 'Great White Hope' - D. Haymon
2007 'My Friend Dick' - R. Butler 2006 - 'Peaches In Wine' - H. Pryor 2005 - 'Red Velvet Elvis' - K. Vaughn
2004 - 'Hot And Spicy' - H. Pryor 2003 - (No Award) 2002 - 'Extraordinaire' - M. Dunn
2001 - 'Praline Festival' - Haymon 2000 - 'Cajun Sunrise' - Mertzweiller 1999 - 'Professor Neil' - Mertzweiller
1998 - 'Bayou Mystique' - M. Dunn 1997 - 'Voodoo Magic' - Rowlan 1996 - 'Professor Jim' - Mertzweiller
1995 - 'Kay Nelson' - Granger 1994 - 'Jeri' - Bertinot 1993 - 'Frank Chowning' - Rowlan
1992 - 'Bajazzo' - M. Dunn 1991 - 'Rhett' - Dunn 1990 - 'Acadian Miss' - Arny
1989 - 'Black Gamecock' - Chowning 1988 - 'EasterTide' - Arny 1987 - 'Clara Goula' - Arny
1986 - 'Ann Chowning' - Chowning    

List of DeBaillon Award winners - Louisiana (LA) Irises:
(Prior to 1986)
1985 - (No Award) 1984 - 'Monument' - Dunn 1983 - 'EasterTide' - Arny
1982 - 'Clara Goula' - Arny 1981 - 'Bryce Leigh' - Chowning 1980 - 'Ann Chowning' - Chowning
1979 - 'This I Love' - Chowning 1978 - (No Award) 1977 - 'Mary Dunn' - Hager
1976 - 'Eolian' - Arny 1975 - 'Charlie's Michele' - Arny 1974 - 'Clyde Redmond' - Arny
1973 - 'Mrs. Ira Nelson' - Arny 1972 - 'Ila Nunn' - Arny 1971 - 'Delta King' - Hager
1970 - 'Marie Caillet' - Conger 1969 - 'Katherine L. Cornay' - Arny 1968 - 'Black Widow' - MacMillan
1967 - 'Dixie Deb' - Chowning 1966 - 'G.W. Holleyman' - R. Holleyman 1965 - 'Frances Elizabeth' - Rix
1964 - 'W. B. MacMillan' - Conger 1963 - 'New Offering' - C. Davis 1962 - 'Dixie Dusk' - Matthews
1961 - 'Louise Arny' - Arny 1960 - 'Amethyst Star' - DuBose 1959 - 'Her Highness' - Livingston (Collected)
1958 - 'Wheelhorse' - C. Dormon 1957 - 'Blue Chip' - S. Smith 1956 - 'Wood Violet' - R. Dormon
1955 - 'The Kahn' - C. Dormon 1954 - 'Saucy Minx' - C. Dormon 1953 - 'Violet Ray' - C. Dormon
1952 - 'Royal Gem' - S. Smith 1951 - 'Cherry Bounce' - Nelson 1950 - 'Caddo' - Trichel
1949 - 'Bayou Sunset' - MacMillan 1948 - 'Mary S. Debaillon' - C. Dormon (Collected)  

1978*** Tie between: 'F.A.C. McCulla' - Arny and 'Shrimp Creole' - Ghio


 

-- Main.RPries - 2009-12-24
Topic revision: r35 - 17 Aug 2023, WayneMesser
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