This award, the highest honor the Society can bestow, is presented on rare occasions to persons who have made truly exceptional contributions to plant pathology. Nominations for this award may be submitted by any member of the Society. Nominees for the Award of Distinction need not be members of the Society.
1967 E. C. Stakman1969 J. C. Walker1972 J. G. Horsfall1980 H. H. Flor1983 A. Kelman
1983 G. A. Zentmyer1987 R. G. Grogan1988 M. K. Brakke1994 R. J. Cook1994 L. Sequeira
1998 A.K. Vidaver2006 Milton Zaitlin 2007 Norman Borlaug