A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 7, 1994
Delmarva Poultry Fund Drive
(Continued from Peflt A 1)
nearly 4,000 persons and compan
ies, including poultry growers, al
lied industry suppliers of products
and services, Delmarva’s eight
poultry companies, poultry com
pany employees, and hundreds of
non-poultry businesses on Del
marva which recognize the eco
nomic importance of the industry
to this area.
The Booster Banquet is also the
occasion at which DPI presents
awards to Delmarva’s outstanding
poultry growers and to two indivi
duals who have made significant
contributions'to the poultry indus
try.
The DPI Medal of Achievement
is awarded annually to a public
servant of an agency or an organi
zation for outstanding achieve
ment and service on behalf of the
poultry industry. This year’s re
cipient is Dr. H. Wesley Towers,
Delaware State Veterin
arian. During his 25
years in that position,
he has worked closely
with the poultry indus
try. A native of Dela
ware, he graduated
from the University of
Delaware with a major
in animal and poultry
science and then obtain
ed his doctor of veterin
ary medicine degree
from the University of
Pennsylvania. Dr. Tow
ers has been active in
many local, regional,
and national animal
health organizations. As
a member of DPl’s
Poultry Health Com
mittee and Emergency
Poultry Disease Task
Force, he took a leader
ship role in last year’s
effort to keep avian in
fluenza out of commer
cial chicken flocks. Dr.
Towers was appointed
to the Mid-Atlantic
Poultry Health Council
by the Governor of
Delaware and serves as
president-elect of the
United States Animal
Health Association.
Delmarva’s Distin
guished Citizen Award,
given in recognition of
a person’s work on be
half of DPI, the poultry
industry, and the com
munity, was presented
to Charles C. Marker of
Dover, Delaware, a
Delmarva poultry in
dustry pioneer. Mr.
Marker’s hatchery busi
ness was opened in
1932. He later expand
ed his business to in
clude feed production
and breeding opera
tions. His dominant
white male breed pre
miered in 1944 and be
came an international
line in the late 19S0s.
The addition of a fe
male breed in the 1960 s
produced a highly com
petitive product in the
marketplace. Mr. Mark
er served as president of
the Delaware Poultry
Improvement Associa
tion in 1942-43 and,
while in that position,
was one of the founding
forces behind the or
ganization that later be
came DPI. In 1945, he
was appointed with ten
other persons from
across the nation to
form a poultry commit-
tee for the American Farm Bureau
Federation and he served on that
committee for five years. A com
petitor in the Chicken of Tomor
row Contest in 1949 and 1950, he
was active in regional and national
poultry organizations in the 1940 s
and 19S0s. Mr. Marker worked
with a number of the local poultry
equipment companies in develop
ing new mechanical systems for
the industry. He was involved in
the formation of the Delaware
Agricultural Museum. In 1987, at
the age of 79, Mr. Marker sold his
real estate complex in north Dover
known as Marker’s Hatchery and
retired from active business opera
tions. He is a former director of
Kent General Hospital in Dover
and a 50-year member of the Dov
er Kiwanis Club. He and his wife
live near Dover on their son’s
poultry farm.
Other banquet honorees includ
ed 18 poultry growers selected by
their companies as outstanding
producers for 1994. They were
presented silver bowls by DPI
President Walter W. Moorhead
and Grower Committee Chairman
Kay R. Richardson. Receiving the
awards were, from Delaware:
Roschen and Rose Mary Hill, Del
mar; Mike and Teresa Hitchens,
Georgetown; Robert and Anna
Mae Yeadt, Delmar; and Margaret
M. Smith, Townsend. From Mary
land: James Abell, Pocomoke;
Gary and Terri Griffin, Parsons
burg; Hilmar Helgason, Rhodes
dale; Tommy Jones, Crisfield;
Bemadine and Woodie Larrimore,
Federalsburg; Chas Nau Jr., Ken
nedy ville; Robert and Bertha Pru
itt, Salisbury; John and Anne
Shults, Henderson; Carole and
James Spicer, Vienna; Ruth and
TR
19»<0>4
FUND DRIVE INVESTORS
pt p
resentative check to Walter Moorehead, president. Oelmar
va Poultry Industry, Inc., (DPI).
Carl Tull, Whaleyville; Kenny
and Susan Wallace, Westover;
Roland and Pat White, Pittsville;
Robert D. Wilkinson, Salisbury;
and Teeny and Doug Willey, East
OUNTY
New Market.
Entertainment at the banquet
was provided by singer, songwrit
er, and comedian Johnny Russell.