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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. C • "C- 1'- i'i•0''i,t.‘ xy^ ft, y,,n.r*'. t /fc-.vU, ' M-t' . V.>:.'«' ft.-i < 7' ‘^xksmm*^ -x'.^xVvi aC. June 1993 8, Agricultural Research Service United States Department ofAgriculture The Agricultural Research Service Fame Science Hall of The ARS Science Hall ofFamewas inauguratedin 1986. Wedetermined thateach succeeding year, one or morepresentor former scientists withthe Agricultural Research Service couldbe selected, subjectto the following criteria: • The selectee made amajorimpact on agricultural research, eitherbythe solutionto a significant agricultural problem throughresearch orby providing outstanding leadership that significantly advanced agricultural research. • The selecteeis aperson whose accomplishments are still recognizedby the agricultural research community. • The selectee’s character and recordofachievement is worthy of emulationby younger agricultural scientists. • The selectee's achievements mustbe orhavebeennationally and/or internationally recognizedby peers in the scientific community. Today wehonor several outstanding scientists byinducting them into the Science Hall ofFame. A plaqueciting the achievements ofeach will beon permanentdisplay in the ARS National Visitor Center atthe Beltsville Agricultural ResearchCenter. R. Dean Plowman Administrator June 8, 1993 1993 John R. Gorham Research Leader Animal Diseases Research Unit Pullman, Washington Forscientific leadership andstudies that have resultedin solutions ofdisease controlproblems andhave advancedbasic knowledge ofviral andgenetic diseases in humans and animals. Dr.Gorhamhasaninternationalreputationinslowvirusdiseases,furanimal diseases, and animal models of human genetic diseases. Gorham and his coworkers' most significant scientific accomplishments include pioneering researchonslowvirusdiseasesthatshowedthatretroviraldiseasesofanimals can serve as animal models of AIDS and rheumatoid arthritis. He first described anddeterminedthecontrolofAleutiandiseaseofmink,whichhas hadenormouseconomicsignificance. Heperformedimportantimmunologic investigations on canine distemperand developed aspray vaccine formink distemperthatis usedworldwide. Someofthemanyfirststocomefromhislaboratoryinclude therickettsial cause ofsalmon poisoning in dogs; isolation of the cause (vitamin E defi- ciency) of steatitis in pigs, mink, and cat; identification of a fatal disease, Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, inanimalsotherthanhumans; adiagnostic test forbluetonguevirus(aneconomicallyimportantdiseaseincattleandsheep); a vaccine against vesicular stomatitis in cattle; and a vaccine against feline panleukopenia. Gorham recently identified a coronavirus as the cause of epizooticcatarrhalgastroenteritisofmink. Twovirusstrainsandaprocedure forviruspropagationwerenamedforhim. Hehas servedas adistinguishedUSDA representative internationally and has served as a delegation leader, consultant, lecturer, and cooperating scientist to 37 nations, including the Soviet Union, China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, India, Bulgaria, andArgentina. In 1991, Dr. Gorham was namedARS Distinguished Scientistofthe Year and was elected into the National Academies of Practice. He is currently advancing the understanding of sheep scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, two diseases that are of great international interest in the spheresofbasicandappliedscience. 1993 Sterling B. Hendricks (posthumous award) Chief Scientist Mineral Nutrition Pioneering Research Laboratory Beltsville, Maryland Forsignificant contributions as a chemist, physicist, mathema- tician, plantphysiologist, geologist, and mineralogist. WhileSterlingHendricksmadenumerousresearchcontributionsindiverse fields, he isbestknown forhis workonplantphotobiology. EnlistedbyDr. HarryBorthwick,Hendricksappliedhisextensiveknowledgeofbiophysicsto elucidation of the photoreceptor pigment that underlies the photoperiodic response of plants, control of seed germination, and other important photoregulatoryevents. TogetherwithBorthwick,hesucceededindeducing theabsorption spectrumofthispigment, using thetechniques ofquantitative action spectroscopy. Hendricks' insightfulresearchapproachesreliedonhis understandingthatlighttreatmentsmustbebrieftoavoidcomplicationsfrom secondaryprocesses andmustbeofsufficientspectralpuritytoallow unam- biguouscharacterization. The photoreceptor was later named phytochrome. It was identified as a protein with linear tetrapyrrole pigment, similar to the algal photosynthetic accessorypigmentphycocyanin. Phytochrometurnedouttobewidespreadin plants, extremely sensitivetolight, andpresentinvery smallamounts. Hendricks, whoreceivedhisinitialrecognitionasasoilchemist,conducted x-ray diffraction studies thatdemonstratedthecrystallinenature ofcolloidal clays. He contributed information on the synthesis ofwaxes and rubber in plants and on the nature of bone. He also pioneered the application of radioisotopestothestudyofphosphatefertilizertransportandintakeintoplant roots. Anactivememberofmanyprofessionalsocieties,Hendricksreceivedmany prizesandawards,includingtheUSDADistinguishedServiceAwardin1952, the Rockefeller Public Service Award in 1960, and the National Medal of Sciencesin 1976. Dr. Hendricksdiedin 1981.