Distinguished Service Medallion 1984
HAROLD B. STEELE
Farm leader, president of the Illinois Farm Bureau for 13 years, and
member of the board of the American Farm Bureau for 12 years, who was
instrumental in the adoption of Food for Century III program. He was
awarded the Medallion at the Urbana-Champaign commencement, 1984.
Board of Trustees Minutes
April 19, 1984
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDALLION
Since 1973, the trustees have conferred the Distinguished Service
Medallion Award upon “individuals whose contributions to the growth and
development of the University of Illinois, through extraordinary service
or significant benefaction, have been of unusual significance.”
The Distinguished Service Medallion Award Committee, consisting of the
trustees listed below, recommends as the recipient of the Medallion for
1984 the following individual :
HAROLD B. STEELE. Elected president of the Illinois Farm Bureau in
1970, his thirteen years in office saw an increase in membership of that
organization from 191,000 to more than 315,000. Although his study of
agriculture at the University was interrupted by World War II, his
support of University and College of Agriculture initiatives in the
Illinois General Assembly has had an impact that will be felt for
decades. Noteworthy among those efforts was his role in support of the
Food for Century III program through which more than $44 million has
been dedicated to the construction of University facilities for teaching
and research in agriculture and veterinary medicine at the
Urbana-Champaign campus. Now returned to his farm in Bureau County, he
has indicated continued interest and willingness to support those
University programs that for so many years have benefited by his
efforts.
The committee recommends that the award be presented at Commencement, May 13, at the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Presented by the Committee for the Trustees Distinguished Service Medallion
Award:
George W. Howard III,chairman Nina T. Shepherd
Galey S. Day Paul Stone
Edmund R. Donoghue William D. Forsyth, Jr., ex officio
On motion of Dr. Donoghue, this recommendation was approved.