1999 Distinguished Alumnus Award

Dr. Arthur Kelman

Dr. Kelman, presenting you with an Award, after your almost six decades of achievements as an exceptional and distinguished scholar, scientist, teacher, administrator, mentor and friend to all scientists - especially plant pathologists and graduate students, is very humbling but yet a very high honor. Your caring attitude and use of your photographic memory to know all Departmental Faculty and Staff as well as University Personnel, including custodians added much to our campus environment. This approach, especially when you moved from N. C. State to The University of Wisconsin was and is a breath of fresh air in the halls of science, especially for a new graduate student in the department named O. W. Barnett.

Your innumerable honors, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences, Distinguished Professorships at the University of Wisconsin and N. C. State University, and outstanding Teacher Awards dwarf our present Award to you. Nevertheless, our Department, College, and University continue to be delighted and honored with the decision by you and Mrs. Helen Kelman (a native of North Carolina) to return to Raleigh where you are continuing your crucial professional contributions and leadership from our campus as a University Distinguished Scholar.

You and Mrs. Kelman have proven that the axiom of one of North Carolina's famous author's, Thomas Wolf, "You can never go home again" is not always true. For this and all the related contributions to our department and profession, we are most grateful. These benefits to N. C. State University include a number of our faculty who came into plant pathology under your infectious influence and mentoring in your course on Introductory Plant Pathology. These, of course, included our recently retired Dean Durward Bateman. The often hidden contributions by you and Mrs. Kelman, including your hosting innumerable graduate students, faculty, and visitors warrant a "Special Thank You."

Could you ever have dreamed of the enormous record of accomplishments that have resulted from your interactions with your early plant pathology mentor, Dr. Frank L. Howard at the University of Rhode Island? Clearly, our Department, University, the State of North Carolina, the profession of plant pathology, and the whole of agriculture and science are indebted to you for that DECISION, as an aspiring graduate student, to enroll in Plant Pathology at N. C. State College in 1941. After a tour of Military Service during WWII and earning the M. S. (1946) and Ph.D. degrees (1949), your continuing and unmatched excellence and achievements as a classroom teacher, scholar, research scientist, administrator, and friend to all over the last five decade have set a new standard for graduates of our Department and the profession of plant pathology. Your career, in addition to bringing innumerable awards and honors and international acclaim to you, has broadened our horizons as scientists and increased the world-wide recognition of our Department, the discipline of Plant Pathology and N. C. State University.

For this, we THANK YOU, and offer this small token of our appreciation - the "OUTSTANDING PLANT PATHOLOGY ALUMNUS AWARD". Thanks to you and Mrs. Kelman for all of your kindness, interest and continuing contributions to our Department.

Wording on the Plaque

For five decades of unmatched excellence and contributions
as a distinguished classroom teacher, scholar,
research scientist, administrator, mentor and friend
to graduate students and scientists. For broadening
our horizons as scientists and for increasing
the world-wide recognition of our Department,
the Discipline of Plant Pathology,
and N. C. State University

– Dr. O. W. Barnett, Head