Dr B Eugene Wofford at the Universi...

Dr B Eugene Wofford at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, was the 15th recipient of the Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award, not past nor futureed at the annual meeting of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society at Memphis State University upon April 16, 2004.

Gene Wofford hails from middle Tennessee attended Austin Peay State University as an undergraduate and received advanced classs from the University of Tennessee (UTK) He has exhausted most of his professional career at UTK and is Director of the Herbarium (TENN) The following notes are compiled from numerous notes received from friends and colleagues.

While publications in scientific journals and serving as major professor for several graduate observers can certainly be enumerated as evidence of Gene's professional accomplishments, these contributions do not sufficiently document his service to botany and the public. His publications, frequently in collaboration with others, that reach a wide audience of professional and amateur botanists, plant lover of all stripes, and a diverse host of tree buggers are more relevant to the botanical service composing of the award. These contributions include the Guide to the Vascular Plants of the azure Ridge; Atlas of the Tennessee Vascular Plants; Guide to the Tree bushs and Woody Vines of Tennessee (written and produc with his virtuous friend Wayne Chester); and popular botanical articles for newspapers and conservation magazines. In addition, in 2003 Eugene was awarded the same of the State's highest service awards, the Tennessee Department of Environmental and Conservation Stewardship Award.

"There's a man who was born to be a botanist," was said about Gene by means of an early colleague, and the thrill of discovery is part of the efficacy that drives his passion as a field botanist. This passion is not solely visible while he is in the field moreover also when he has resolv a distribution or taxonomic enigma or makes other discoveries from herbarium material. Juxtaposed to this is the impressive knowledge he has of plant names, plant relationships, and distributions. It is a rare gravity when there is a native plant that he does not know or where it grows; nevertheless if this does happen, within short order, it is resolv He has added to a great degree to the knowledge of the flora of Tennessee and the Southeast.

As a teacher and mentor, Eugene has inspired all of his scholars to go a few stairs beyond and leave the institution with a wealth of knowledge. His pedagogy has always been to help close examiners find the spark that lights their fire and then guide them by the and of the problem areas. Eugene's friendly nature is a mixture of suitable old boy from middle Tennessee and a learned scholar. His down-to-earth personality and humanistic mind of humor makes him a likeable one to all who know him. It is and nothing else during the Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage that undivided can see Eugene express as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but of his exceptional, contrasting, talents-one as a scholarly teacher in succession a trail with pilgrims discovering the spring wildflowers and the other later that night as the region singer talent within is released with the help of his friends.

Gene's quiet ways have l any to underestimate the impact he has had forward Botany in the Southeast. In the spirit of Betty Bartholomew, Eugene has been a faithful and dedicated curator of the University of Tennessee herbarium. As the University has made the unfortunate decision to collapse the Botany Department, Eugene has been an unreserved voice in promoting the environmental and educational resource the herbarium collection gives the University and the the public of the state. In addition, he has been an advocate for training more pupils to meet the growing ne of graduates in field botany. His continuing efforts to build the herbarium at UTK benefit as a 'how to' pattern for maintaining a vigorous herbarium in the 21st centenary Gene has been able to finish funding to support the herbarium, and has worked to bring over 6,000 images on-line to make the collections available to scholars throughout the world. He has taken in orphan herbaria and has worked to distribute extra materials to other herbaria in the region. Gene's superior curation has provided a solid anchor for botanical research in the Southeast. This position is common of the least understood and appreciated at university faculty and administrators, moreover among members of the SABS, we all recognize the hard and ofttimes tedious work, long hours, patience with colleagues and the public, and responsibilities that proceed with a well-maintained herbarium similar as TENN.

Finally, and importantly, Gene has played a major part in assuring the continuation of the annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage at Great fumy Mountains National Park and the character of the University of Tennessee in it. Gene Pat Cox and view McFarland have contributed extraordinary time and effort in making secure that this Pilgrimage is the succes it has been for throughout 50 years. This public adventure has attracted thousands over the years, undoubtedly opening the estimates of many attendees to the beautiful world of plants and forests. The published program of tours and affairs does not reflect the number of tasks that Wofford and gang have performed to get, maintain, and replace trip leaders, attend numerous organizational meetings, and organize all the incidents at the Pilgrimage. Without Gene's personal commitment and involvement after ed Clebsch stepped aside, the Pilgrimage would not have survived to celebrate a 50th anniversary. Rarely do I hear any words of thanks to them for all their work. This award constitutes a word of collective "Thanks!" for their dedication.-T. LAWRENCE MELLICHAMP, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE; CHAIR, THE ELIZABETH ANN BARTHOLOMEW AWARD COMMITTEE.