Photo courtesy SPRINGFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Darr named Springfieldian of the Year
SBJ Staff
Posted online
William H. Darr has been named the 2011 Springfieldian of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
Darr, founder of American Dehydrated Foods Inc., International Dehydrated Foods Inc., and the Darr Family Foundation, was given the award Jan. 28 during the chamber's 2011 Annual Meeting at University Plaza Convention Center, according to a news release.
Each year, the chamber chooses an honoree based on that person's community service record, excellence in his or her chosen profession and dedication to improving the quality of life for other Springfieldians.
Darr's contributions to Missouri State University have led to the school naming the William H. Darr School of Agriculture and the Darr Agricultural Center after him.
“His dream is just to make something better for other people, " Anson Elliott, department head of the William H. Darr School of Agriculture, said in the release. "All of the gifts he has given not only to our organization but to others are because he wants to make a difference in somebody’s life."
The Darr Agricultural Center is also the host site of the annual Cattle Baron's Ball, an American Cancer Society fundraising gala.
Darr founded American Dehydrated Foods in 1978, International Dehydrated Foods in 1982, and Food Ingredients Technology Company in 1990.
His business success with the three companies helped fund the Darr Family Foundation in 2002, which continues to be funded primarily by Darr and his family, the release said.
Past honorees: 1957 – Durward G. Hall 1958 – Ed Baxter 1959 – Eugene F. Johnson 1960 – Lester E. Cox 1961 – G. Pearson Ward 1962 – Max Van Hook 1963 – E. L. Anderson 1964 – Thomas H. Baird Jr. 1965 – E. A. Martin Jr. 1966 – J.H.G. Cooper 1967 – James A. Jeffries Sr. 1968 – Flavius Freeman 1969 – Don C. Dailey 1970 – G. Frank Knox 1971 – William E. Everheart 1972 – Dr. L.E. Meador 1973 – Del E. Caywood 1974 – Thomas F. Zimmerman 1975 – Dr. Joe Kuklenski Jr. 1976 – James F. Payne 1977 – James K. Cook 1978 – John K. Hulston 1979 – William V. Turner 1980 – John Q. Hammons 1981 – Lester L. Cox 1982 – C. Arch Bay 1983 – Ralph Foster 1984 – Bill Henderson 1985 – Gene Everett 1986 – Lee McLean 1987 – Don Wessel 1988 – Ed Deck 1989 – Dr. John E. Moore Jr. 1990 – Rev. Dorsey E. Levell 1991 – Ray F. Aton 1992 – Mary Kay Meek 1993 – Michael J. Williamson 1994 – Chris W. Nattinger 1995 – Robert E. Roundtree 1996 – Ben A. Parnell 1997 – Charlie O’Reilly 1998 – Jan Horton 1999 – Kenneth L. Carter 2000 – Jack Stack 2001 – John L. Morris 2002 – Tom Finnie 2003 – Roseann Bentley 2004 – Dr. Robert Spence 2005 – Jim Anderson 2006 – Ralph K. Manley 2007 – Kenneth E. Meyer 2008 – Annie Busch 2009 – Bill Foster 2010 – Brian Fogle [[In-content Ad]]
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