Difference: InfoMedalMohr (r40 vs. r39)

William Mohr Medal

The highest award given by the American Iris Society strictly to Arilbred Irises with less than 1/2 Aril content.

History from Clarence Mahan:.........................................related links: Awards; 2015 William Mohr Medal Candidates.

This medal is restricted to irises of one-quarter or more aril content that do not meet the more restrictive requirements of the Clarence G. White Medal. It is named in honor of William A. Mohr (1871-1923).

William Mohr was born on a 400-acre ranch near Mount Eden, California. He lived and worked on the ranch all, his life. Mohr's interest in plants began in his childhood, and he not only imported many plants but also grew different many plants from seed. He hybridized almost everything he grew. He developed hybrid strains of wheat and his neighbors bought their seed from Mohr. He developed new strains of polyanthus, tulips, clematis, lilies, and many bulbous plants.

About ten years before his death, Mohr began working with irises. He obtained the tetraploid Asiatic species, as well as regelia and oncocyclus irises, and communicated with other iris hybridizers such as Grace Sturtevant and Samuel Stillman Berry. He grew thousands of seedlings, including reglio-cyclus, regalia, and oncocyclus crosses with pogonirises, and all classes of bearded irises. He also hybridized spuria irises and made crosses between Siberian irises and Pacific Coast native irises.

William Mohr and his wife were killed in 1923, when an express train hit their car. He never knew the fame his irises would ultimately achieve. His wonderful new irises could have been lost had it not been for his friend, Professor Sydney B. Mitchell, who saved his irises and continued his work. Only a few of Mohr's irises were registered at the time of his death, including 'Balboa' and the arilbreds 'Bellorio' and 'Carmelo'. After Mohr's death, Sydney Mitchell introduced a number of Mohr's most outstanding seedlings; these are shown in the 1939 Check List as "MohrMitchell" introductions. Some of these outstanding cultivars are 'Purissima', 'Santa Barbara', 'Conquistador' and 'Marian Mohr'.

The two greatest achievements of William Mohr's hybridizing programs are probably his plicatas and his innovative and beautiful arilbreds. His great plicatas are 'Los Angeles' and the iris that won the first American Dykes Medal, 'San Francisco'. Mohr's most important arilbred iris is the magnificent 'William Mohr'.

From Aril Society International (ASI):

Since 1993, the William Mohr Memorial Medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with less than 1/2 aril ancestry. (Before 1993, it was the William Mohr award, equivalent to an award of merit. Arilbreds must now earn an award of merit before they can qualify for the William Mohr medal.)

The medal honors William Mohr, one of the first experimenters in arilbred breeding during the early decades of the 1900s.

Note: Missing from the winners below is 'Prairie Thunder' which tied for the Mohr Medal in 1998. This will be corrected as soon as possible.

List of William Mohr Medal winners - Arilbred (Ab) Irises:

	'Desert Snow'   2019 - Paul Black	'Sri Lanka'   2018 - Thomas Johnson	'Eye To Eye' 'Heart Of Hearts' 2017 - Keith Keppel' 2021 - Paul Black
'Brash 'Parable' And Bold' 2016 2021 - Paul Black Thomas Johnson \	'Prince of 'Desert Snow' Egypt' 2015 2019 - Perry Dyer Paul Black	'Octave' 'Sri Lanka' 2014 2018 - Thomas Johnson	'Egyptian Queen' 'Eye To Eye' 2017 - Keith Keppel' 2013 - Thomas Johnson
'Suspect' 'Brash And Bold' 2012 2016 - Thomas Johnson Paul Black	'Persian Sapphire' 'Prince of Egypt' 2011 2015 - Lowell Baumunk Perry Dyer	'Ulalena' 'Octave' 2010 2014 - George Sutton Thomas Johnson	'Sue Bee' 'Egyptian Queen' 2009 2013 - Susie Kammer Thomas Johnson
'Shabaza' 'Suspect' 2008 2012 - George Sutton Thomas Johnson	'Hakuna Matata' 'Persian Sapphire' 2007 2011 - Anna & Lowell Baumunk David Cadd	'Walker 'Ulalena' Ross' 2006 2010 - Ross by George Sutton Chapman	'Desert Jubilee' 'Sue Bee' 2005 2009 - Flanagan Susie Kammer
'Desert 'Shabaza' Celebration' 2004 2008 - Flanagan George Sutton	'She Devil' 'Hakuna Matata' 2003 2007 - Paul Black Anna & David Cadd	'Omar's Gold' 'Walker Ross' 2002 2006 - Carl Boswell Ross by Chapman	'Kalifa's Horn' 'Desert Jubilee' 2001 2005 - Robert Flanagan Annand
'Silent Tears' 'Desert Celebration' 2000 2004 - Petersonn Flanagan	'Patriot's Gem' 'She Devil' 1999 2003 - Fred Gadd Paul Black	'Bozrah' 'Omar's Gold' Tie 2002 1998 - Fred Gadd Carl Boswell	'Prairie Thunder' 'Kalifa's Horn' Tie 2001 1998 - Paul Black Robert Annand	'Omar The Tentmaker'   1997 - Carl Boswell
'Solomon's Glory' 'Silent Tears' 1996 2000 - Nichols Petersonn	'Smoke With 'Patriot's Gem' Wine' 1995 1999 - Carl Boswell Fred Gadd	'Omar's 'Bozrah' Torch' 1994 1998 Tie - Carl Boswell Fred Gadd	'Jewel Of 'Prairie Thunder' Omar' 1993 1998 Tie - Carl Boswell Paul Black	'Omar The Tentmaker' 1997 - Carl Boswell
'Solomon's Glory' 1996 - Nichols	'Smoke With Wine' 1995 - Carl Boswell	'Omar's Torch' 1994 - Carl Boswell	'Jewel Of Omar' 1993 - Carl Boswell

List of William Mohr Award winners - Arilbred (Ab) Irises:
(Prior to 1993 ; was equivalent to Award of Merit)

'Omar's Torch' 1992 - Carl Boswell	'Jewel Of Omar' 1991 - Carl Boswell	'Bold Sentry' 1990 - Les Peterson	'Green Eyed Sheba' 1989 - Carl Boswell
'Humohr' 1988 - Ben Hager	'Sultan's Jewelry' 1987 - Ben Hager	'Smoke With Wine' 1986 - Carl Boswell	'Dune' 1985 - Ben Hager
'Cairo Love Song' 1984 - Hooker Nichols	'Sizzle' 1983 - Fred Gadd	'Aril Lady' 1982 - Henry Danielson	'Byzantine Beauty' 1981 - Hooker Nichols
'GeneticBurst' 1980 - Henry Danielson	'Pogo Doll' 1979 - Leda Christlieb	'Little Orchid Annie' 1978 - Doris Foster	'Girl Watcher' 1977 - Stanley Street
Stitchery' 1976 - Doris Foster	'Mint Parfait' 1975 - Doris Foster	'Sojourn' 1974 - Harry Tate	'Fairy Goblin' 1973 - Doris Foster
'Saletta' 1972 - Stanley Street	'Saffron Jewel' 1971 - Abell	'Aspen Country' 1970 - McClure No image	'Nineveh' 1969 - Keith Keppel

-- Main.RPries - 2009-12-24

I	Attachment	Action	Size	Date	Who	Comment
jpg	WilliamMohrqterArilSM_edit.jpg	manage	58 K	26 Aug 2010 - 11:13	UnknownUser	From AIS slides
jpg	WilliamandFredaMohr1959Reg14SpringBulletin.jpg	manage	38 K	26 Aug 2010 - 11:44	UnknownUser	From AIS slides