2022 – Xinnian Dong – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2021 – Detlef Weigel – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2020 – Julian Schroeder – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2019 – Richard Vierstra – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2018 – Mary Lou Guerinot – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2017 – Julia Bailey Serres – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2016 – Gloria Coruzzi -a leader in exploring the interface of plant and systems biology and provided the first integrated view of mechanisms controlling the assimilation and use of nitrogen.
2015- Bob Goldberg -for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2014- Mike Thomashow -for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2013 – Brian A. Larkins -for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2012 – Ian Sussex – for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2011 – Susan Wessler – for her continuing and outstanding contributions to plant science
2010 –Athanasios (Sakis) Theologis– for his sustained and outstanding contributions to plant science for more than 30 years
2009 –Jeffery Dangl– for his role in developing the concepts and elucidating the fundamental mechanisms that govern plant-pathogen interactions
2008 –Peter Quail– for noteworthy service to the science of plant biology
2007 – Sarah Hake – for noteworthy contributions to our fundamental understanding of plant development biology that span the scienific disciplines of evolution, genetics, cell biology, and plant molecular biology
2006 – Ken Keegstra – for his pioneering contributions to our understanding of chloroplast biogenesis, protein import into chloroplasts, and the structure and biosynthesis of the plant cell wall
2005 – Bob Buchanan – for his major discoveries regarding the regulation of CO2 fixation and the roles of the thioredoxin system in plant development
2004 – Natasha Raikhel – for her studies of protein trafficking and for developing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana as the organism of choice for plant cell biology
2002 – Elisabeth Gantt – for her pioneering contributions to research in photosynthesis and carotenoid biosynthesis, and for her exemplary service work
2000 *Jan A. D. Zeevaart for his extensive contributions to the elucidation of the mechanisms whereby plant hormones mediate effects of the environment on plant processes such as flowering, growth, and protective responses to drought
1998 *Hans Kende for his seminal contributions to our understanding of the mode of action of the hormones gibberellin, cytokinin, and ethylene
1996 Maarten J. Chrispeels for his research on the interface between cell biology and biochemistry, as a spokesperson for the science, as an inspiring teacher and mentor, and as an exacting editor of the journal Plant Physiology
1994 Winslow R. Briggs for serving plant physiology as a teacher and mentor, as an investigator of how light interacts with internal metabolic and hormonal controls, and as a senior spokesperson for the science
1992 *Clarence A. Ryan for his contributions to our understanding of plant defense based on proteinase inhibitors
1990 *Joseph E. Varner for his fundamental contributions and intellectual leadership in plant physiology
1988 *Oliver E. Nelson, Jr. in recognition of his research in genetic and molecular biology
1986 Olle E. Bjorkman for his important contributions to plant physiology and, particularly, to the area of physiological plant ecology
1984 *Bernard O. Phinney, recognized worldwide as the foremost authority on the function and metabolism of the gibberellins
1982 *Lawrence Bogorad for his pioneering research characterizing the chloroplast genome
1980 *N. Edward Tolbert for his research in the fields of photorespiration and glycolate metabolism
1978 *Bessel Kok for his contributions to the photophysical and biochemical aspects of photosynthesis
1976 *Anton Lang for his outstanding contributions in plant growth and regulation
1974 *Paul Karl Stumpf in recognition of his outstanding contributions to our knowledge of lipid metabolism in plants
1972 Andrew Alm Benson for his discovery of ribulose among products of photosynthetic carbon dioxide assimilation and for his other contributions to the elucidation of this process
1970 *Harry Beevers in recognition of his outstanding studies of glyoxalate metabolism and of glyoxysomes
1968 Robert Harza Burris for his continued contribution to knowledge of the metabolism of nitrogen and its fixation by plants
1966 *Daniel Israel Arnon in honor of his distinguished contributions toward advancing plant physiology as a science
1964 *Frederick Campion Steward for his many important contributions to the knowledge of cell differentiation and specific growth factors
1962 *Sterling Brown Hendricks and *Harry Alfred Borthwick for their contributions in the field of growth and differential in plants
1960 *Perry R. Stout for contributions in the field of mineral nutrition of plants
1958 *Frits Warmolt Went for contributions in the field of auxins and physiological ecology
1956 *Melvin Calvin for his charting of the path of carbon in photosynthesis
1954 *Folke Karl Skoog for his outstanding work in the field of auxin physiology
1952 *Lawrence Rogers Blinks for his studies in photosynthesis and the physiology of the algae
1950 *Birgit Vennesland for her contributions in the field of plant biochemistry and enzymes
1948 *Robert Emerson for his many important contributions to the study of the photosynthetic mechanism
1948 *David Rockwell Goddard for his fundamental contributions to our knowledge of respiration and respiratory enzymes
1946 *Burton Edward Livingston for his contributions to the field of plant physiology
1944 Ray Fields Dawson for his pioneering and leadership in investigations of the localization of the mechanism of alkaloid synthesis
1942 *Cornelis Bernardus van Niel in recognition of his brilliant work on the biochemistry of lower organisms and contributions to an understanding of photosynthesis
1940 *Philip Rodney White for his pioneer work and major contributions to plant tissue culture
1938 *John Wesley Shive for his contributions to the investigation of mineral requirements and general plant nutrition
1936 *Kenneth Vivian Thimann for his contributions to our knowledge of the chemistry and physiological significance of the growth hormones of plants
1934 *Charles Albert Shull for distinguished service to the science of plant physiology
1932 *Hubert Bradford Vickery for his contributions to plant protein chemistry
1930 *Wrightman Wells Garner for his development of the concept of photoperiodism
1929 *Dennis Robert Hoagland for his contributions and leadership in the field of plant nutrition
*Deceased