State College, Pa. - At its annual membership meeting in November, the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council renamed its Distinguished Service Award to honor Dr. George Hamilton, a professor and researcher in turfgrass management at Penn State. Hamilton died this past summer from cancer.
The newly named Dr. George Hamilton Distinguished Service Award will be presented for the first time in 2005.
“The PTC Board unanimously voted to change the name of the award as a way to honor George for his unfailing support for PTC’s mission to advance the science of turfgrass management,” says council president Jerred Golden.
Additionally, the PTC celebrated the 75th anniversary of Penn State’s Turfgrass Research and Education program during the annual Penn State Golf Turf Conference in November. Dr. Al Turgeon, professor of turfgrass management at Penn State, gave an overview of the program, its successes and progress.
Newly elected PTC board member Matt Shaffer from Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., thanked the College of Agricultural Sciences and those involved in the research for the contribution that has been made to the golf industry. Shaffer expressed appreciation for the influence Penn State has had on the development and management of turf on athletic fields and commercial and residential lawns impacted by the research in the turf industry.
State representatives Kerry A. Benninghoff and Lynn B. Herman presented a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognizing the anniversary and commending Penn State’s research and education program.
