HYB:AIS:TB:AR: Death of Fred Gadd, Distinguished Hybridizer

From: HIPSource@aol.com

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have received a note here from Clarence Mahan bearing the news that a
notable hybridizer has left us. Fred Gadd of Region 1 was the recipient of the
AIS Distinguished Hybridizer's Medal in 1995 for his work over many years with
bearded and arilbred irises. An appreciation of his work was published in the
AIS Bulletin for April, 1996, which, for your convenience, I shall paraphrase.

Mr. Gadd's first introduction was RISING FAWN, introduced in 1963. It won an
HC and a prestigious regional award, the McKee award, which Gadd was the only
hybridizer ever to win twice. During the period 1961 to 1988, Gadd registered
approximately 70 bearded irises and introduced most of them. Nationally his
bearded irises received perhaps less attention and higher awards than they
deserved.This is thought to be because of his being somewhat removed from the
areas where much commercial activity occurs, and also because he worked less
for the goal of increased size and decoration of the flowers, and more for
garden strength and the ability to withstand the rigors of the New England
climate. Nevertheless, he won the HM Award for YANKEE BOY (1970), YANKEE MAID
(1977), TOP BANANA (1980), CHARTER OAK (1983) AND GARNET SPORT (1983). 

Like many of us, Mr. Gadd was fascinated with the beauty of the exotic aril
irises. In spite of the difficulty of the goal, he set out to attempt to
incorporate their beauty into irises which would withstand uncongenial
conditions. He grew his delicate parent stock in a coldframe and proceeded to
work on developing beautiful cold-hardy arilbreds. His first two introductions
from this program were both blues of TB stature, SILVER WEB and LAKE MATTAWA,
and both won the HM in 1968.

Building on the cold hardiness of Bee Warburton's New England born dwarf
irises, Gadd raised a notable group of arilmedians. SIZZLE, introduced in 1978
won its HM in 1980 and the William Mohr Award in 1983. BUCHEE (HM 1987) was
second runner up for the William Mohr Award in 1992. Of the 32 arilbreds Fred
Gadd introduced between 1967 and 1990, 27 won HM Awards. The author of the
notice in the Bulletin observes that had all these irises been eligible for
the AM award, Mr. Gadd surely would have received it.

Fred Gadd carried out two separate and ambitious hybridizing programs for many
years although his growing space was extremely limited. His achievements are
the more remarkable for this.

Those of use who must grow our irises in less than ideal conditions, those of
us who endure the vicissitudes of intemperate weather, those of us who admire
strength in an iris and see it as a true and necessary component of beauty,
those of us who wonder what can be achieved in our own small back yards, those
of us who love the arilbreds and despair of their limitations, and all of
those of us who admire vision, persistence, and excellence, will wish to pause
today and salute Fred Gadd, a distinguished hybridizer of irises.

Clarence has sent along the Mrs.Gadd's address. I shall not publish it to the
list, but if you would care to send a card or note of condolence, kindly speak
to me privately and I will provide it.   

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com

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