Medal Winning Hybridizers

The American Iris Society has a variety of awards for recently introduced irises. These are topped by a series of Medals for different types of irises and capped by the American Dykes Medal that all types of irises compete for.

The hybridizers who create irises each have their own page listing their registered irises. We have begun adding picture galleries of Medal Awarded Irises to the individual hybridizer's pages. You can find them at the bottom of those pages.

This is very much a project still under construction. As medal picture galleries are added to the hybridizers' pages, "with gallery" will be added to their listing.

The list below is the hybridizers who have won any of these medals. Started creating this list by listing all the hybridizers who won the American Dykes Medal - 58 hybridizers as of 2025.

Hybridizers who have won the American Dykes Medal

1. Dr. Wylie McLean Ayres - with gallery
2. Sanford Babson - with gallery
3. Cliff Benson - with gallery
4. Paul Black - with gallery
5. Opal Brown - with gallery
6. Eugene Buckles - with gallery
7. Charles Bunnell - with gallery
8. Tom Burseen - with gallery
9. Monty Byers - with gallery
10. Clarence Phillips Connell - with gallery
11. Paul Cook - with gallery
12. Adam Cordes
13. L. W. Cousins - with gallery
14. Fred DeForest - with gallery
15. Edward Essig - with gallery
16. Orville Fay - with gallery
17. L. Merton Gage
18. Larry Gaulter
19. Joseph Ghio - with gallery
20. James Gibson - with gallery
21. Howard Glutzbeck - with gallery
22. Robert J. Graves - with gallery
23. J. H. Grinter - with gallery
24. Ben Hager - with gallery
25. David Hall - with gallery
26. Robert Hollingworth - with gallery
27. Sterling Innerst
28. Thomas Johnson - with gallery
29. Keith Keppel
30. Frederick Kerr
31. James Kirkland
32. Mrs. Hilbert Kuntz
33. Larry Lauer - with gallery
34. P.A. Loomis
35. Edith Lowry
36. Walter Luihn
37. William Maryott
38. Lynda Miller
39. Hubert C. Mohr
40. William Mohr
41. Tell Muhlestein
42. O. David Niswonger - with gallery
43. Elvan Roderick
44. Nate Rudolph
45. Schreiner
46. Hans Peter Sass
47. Jacob Sass
48. Neva Sexton
49. Mrs. Edward C.Stahlman
50. Marky Smith
51. Michael Sutton
52. Esther Tams
53. Richard Tasco - with gallery
54. Edward Watkins
55. Mrs. C. Whiting
56. Bryce Williamson - with gallery
57. Mary Williamson
58. Jesse Wills

Hybridizers who have won the Wister Medal. 35 Hybridizers.

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Paul Black
3. Lowell Baumunk
4. Barry Blyth
5. Tom Burseen
6. Monty Byers
7. Anna and David Cadd
8. Adam Cordes
9. Howard Dash
10. Roger Duncan
11. Richard Ernst
12. Joseph Ghio
13. Ben Hager
14. Sterling Innerst
15. Ben Johnson
16. Thomas Johnson
17. Evelyn Jones
18. Douglas Kanarowski
19. Brad Kasperek
20. Keith Keppel
21. Frederick Kerr
22. Larry Lauer
23. Tom Magee
24. William Maryott
25. Anton Mego
26. Lynda Miller
27. Ron Mullin
28. Hooker Nichols
29. Tom Parkhill
30. Schreiner
31. Marky Smith
32. Donald Spoon
33. Michael Sutton
34. Richard Tasco
35. Lloyd Zurbrigg

Hybridizers who won the Caparne-Welch Medal and Award for MDBs - 30 hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Paul Black
3. Carl Boswell
4. Mildred Brizendine
5. Alta Brown
6. Paul Cook
7. Helen Doriot
8. Bonnie Dunbar
9. Ben Hager
10. Melba Hamblen
11. E. L. Hodson
12. Wilma Greenlee
13. Thomas Johnson
14. Bennett Jones
15. Brad Kasperek
16. Keith Keppel
17. Carol Lankow
18. Leona Mahood
19. Walter Marx
20. Lynda Miller
21. Earl Roberts
22. Henry E. Sass
23. Jacob Sass
24. David Sindt
25. Eva Smith
26. Donald Spoon
27. Augustino Todaro
28. Bee Warburton
29. Walter Welch
30. Dorothy and Anthony Willott

Hybridizers who won the Cook-Douglas Medal and Awards for SDBs - https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoMedalCookDouglas - 28 hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Paul Black
3. Harley Briscoe
4. Chuck Chapman
5. Paul Cook
6. Geddes Douglas
7. John Durrance
8. Perry Dyer
9. Allan Ensminger
10. Joseph Gatty
11. John E. Goett
12. Ben Hager
13. Earl Hall
14. Melba Hamblen
15. Thomas Johnson
16. Bennett Jones
17. William E. Jones
18. Keith Keppel
19. Lynda Miller
20. Hooker Nichols
21. O. David Niswonger
22. Hazel Schmelzer
23. Marky Smith
24. Michael Sutton
25. Bee Warburton
26. John Weiler
27. Walter Welch
28. Lloyd Zurbrigg

Next up The Debaillon Medal and Award for best Louisiana Iris. 36 hybridizers.

1. Charles W. Arny
2. Neil Bertinot
3. Ron Betzer
4. Richard Butler
5. Frank Chowning
6. Sidney Conger
7. Jill Copeland
8. Claude Davis
9. Caroline Dormon
10. Ruth Dormon
11. Sydney DuBose
12. Mary Dunn
13. M. D. Faith
14. Marvin Granger
15. Ben Hager
16. Dorman Haymon
17. Rilla Hickerson
18. G. W. Holleyman
19. Ron Killingsworth
20. William Levingston
21. W. B. MacMillan
22. Lenora Mathews
23. Joseph Mertzweiller
24. Richard Morgan
25. Irene Nelson
26. Hooker Nichols
27. Patrick O'Connor
28. Bernard Pryor
29. Heather Pryor
30. Sam Rix
31. Henry Rowlan
32. Wayland Rudkin
33. Sally Smith
34. Lillian Trichel
35. Kevin Vaughn
36. Harry Wolford

The Eric Nies Medal and Award for best Spuria. 16 Hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Anna and David Cadd
3. Frances Combs
4. Walker Ferguson
5. Ben Hager
6. Jim Hedgecock
7. B. Charles Jenkins
8. Brad Kasperek
9. Eleanor McCown
10. Carl Milliken
11. Eric Nies
12. O. David Niswonger
13. Hans Peter Sass
14. Lee Walker
15. Marion Walker
16. Floyd Wickenkamp

The Founders of SIGNA Medal for best species cultivar. 16 Hybridizers. How should we list something like this: John Wood by Everette Lineberger, does not appear to be consistent.

1. Lowell Baumunk
2. Rita Butler
3. Jill Copeland
4. Chad Harris
5. Walter Hoover
6. Michael Iler
7. Brad Kasperek
8. Samuel Norris
9. Dick Redfield
10. Lorena Reid
11. Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks
12. Richard Tasco
13. James Waddick
14. Bee Warburton
15. Jeff Weeks
16. John Wood

The Knowlton Medal for best Border Bearded, 37 Hybridizers or combinations.

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Margaret Albright
3. Paul Black
4. Dovie Brady
5. Alta Brown
6. Opal Brown
7. Tom Brown
8. Eugene Buckles
9. James Burch
10. Donald Denney
11. John Durrance
12. Perry Dyer
13. Allan Ensminger
14. Joseph Ghio
15. Ben Hager
16. Melba Hamblen
17. Thomas Johnson
18. Bennett Jones
19. Brad Kasperek
20. Keith Keppel
21. Frederick Kerr
22. Harry Kuesel
23. Carol Lankow
24. Larry Lauer
25. Tom Magee
26. Lynn Markham
27. James Marsh
28. Hooker Nichols
29. O. David Niswonger
30. Nate Rudolph
31. Sass Brothers and Helen Graham Reynolds
32. Harold Stahly
33. Stephen Stevens
34. Michael Sutton
35. Richard Tasco
36. James Tucker
37. Bee Warburton

The Mitchell Medal for best Pacific Coast Native. 18 Hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Lois Belardi
3. Robert and Janet Canning
4. Deborah Cole
5. Dara Emery for 'Canyon Snow' in 1978 has Philbrick listed on the Mitchell Medal and Award page
6. Joseph Ghio
7. Bennett Jones
8. Lewis Lawyer
9. Lee Lenz
10. Duane Meek
11. Eric Nies
12. S. August Phillips
13. William Plotner
14. Colin Rigby
15. G. Stambach
16. Marion Walker
17. John Weiler
18. Vernon Wood

The Mohr Medal for best quarter Arilbred and Mohr Award before that. 24 hybridizers

1. Thornton Abell
2. Robert Annand
3. Lowell Baumunk
4. Paul Black
5. Carl Boswell
6. Anna & David Cadd
7. Leda Christlieb
8. Henry Danielson
9. Perry Dyer
10. Lin Flanagan
11. Doris Foster
12. Fred Gadd
13. Ben Hager
14. Thomas Johnson
15. Susie Kammer
16. Keith Keppel
17. W. E McClure
18. Hooker Nichols
19. Les Peterson
20. Walker Ross
21. Stanley Street
22. George Sutton
23. Richard Tasco
24. Harry Tate

The Morgan-Wood Medal for best Siberian. Using 2025 results. 21 hybridizers

1. Dana Borglum
2. Harley Briscoe
3. Fred Cassebeer
4. Frances Cleveland
5. Dean Cole
6. James Copeland, Sr.
7. Sydney DuBose
8. Peg Edwards
9. L. Merton Gage
10. Calvin Helsley
11. Robert Hollingworth
12. W. M. Kellogg
13. Forrest McCord
14. Currier McEwen
15. William McGarvey
16. Anna Mae Miller
17. F. Cleveland Morgan
18. Marty Schafer and Jan Sacks
19. Steve Varner
20. Carol Warner
21. Fred R. Whitney

The Payne Medal for best Japanese. 20 hybridizers

1. Thornton Abell
2. J. Terry Aitken
3. Bob Bauer and John Coble
4. Jill Copeland
5. Donald Delmez
6. Marie Dienstbach
7. Ben Hager
8. Chad Harris
9. A. H. Hazzard by Bauer and Coble
10. Sterling Innerst
11. Frederick Maddocks
12. Walter Marx by D. Rogers
13. Currier McEwen
14. W. Arlie Payne
15. Lorena Reid
16. Lois Rich
17. Rex Rich
18. Adolph Vogt
19. John White
20. Violet Worley

The Randolph-Perry Medal for best Species Cross. 16 Hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Paul Black
3. Jill Copeland
4. Ben Hager
5. Joseph Halinar
6. Chad Harris
7. Robert Hollingworth
8. Tony Huber
9. Brad Kasperek
10. Lynn Markham
11. O. David Niswonger
12. Lorena Reid
13. Marty Schafer & Jan Sacks
14. Hiroshi Shimizu by Carol Warner
15. Tomas Tamberg
16. Sarah Tiffney

The Sass Medal for best Intermediate Bearded, 33 Hybridizers

1. J. Terry Aitken
2. Lowell Baumunk
3. Paul Black
4. Jack Boushay
5. Alta Brown
6. Paul Cook
7. Tom Craig
8. Geddes Douglas
9. Perry Dyer
10. Allan Ensminger
11. Joseph Gatty
12. Wilma Greenlee
13. Ben Hager
14. Melba Hamblen
15. Thomas Johnson
16. Bennett Jones
17. Brad Kasperek
18. Keith Keppel
19. Carol Lankow
20. Larry Lauer
21. Virginia Messick
22. Tell Muhlestein
23. Hooker Nichols
24. O. David Niswonger
25. Cleo Palmer
26. Gordon Plough
27. Riley Probst
28. Schreiners
29. Marky Smith
30. Hugh Stout
31. Michael Sutton
32. Richard Tasco
33. Vernon Wood

The White Medal and White Award for best aril or arilbred. Ready for 1967.

1. Robert Annand
2. Lowell Baumunk
3. Carl Boswell
4. Roy Brizendine
5. Henry Danielson
6. Howard Dash
7. Doris Foster
8. Ben Hager
9. William Hawkinson
10. Eugene Hunt
11. Thomas Johnson
12. Kenneth Kidd
13. Harald Mathes
14. Peter McGrath
15. Les Peterson
16. Lois Rich
17. Mark Rogers
18. Howard Shockey
19. Stanley Street
20. Richard Tasco

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-- WayneMesser - 05 Mar 2025