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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 37
BY SENATOR DORSEY-COLOMB
A RESOLUTION
To commend and congratulate Louisiana State University Professor Emeritus Dr. Milton C.
"Chuck" Rush on his distinguished career and accomplishments in the field of plant
pathology.
WHEREAS, Dr. Milton C. "Chuck" Rush has dedicated over thirty-seven years in
education, research, and service to the United States rice industry as a research plant
pathologist with the LSU AgCenter; and
WHEREAS, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Pathology from the
University of Arizona in 1964, his Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology from the
University of Arizona in 1966, and his PhD in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State
University in 1970; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rush's areas of specialization and research include the
epidemiology, etiology, and control of rice diseases; breeding for disease resistance in rice;
and rice tissue culture and transformation; and
WHEREAS, his efforts are directed toward improving rice variety resistence to major
rice diseases and improvement of rice tissue culture and transformation techniques; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rush's programs pioneered the development of rating scales for rice
diseases in the southern United States; and
WHEREAS, he first reported eight new diseases in Louisiana rice and his extensive
fungicide testing programs were critical for the labeling of new fungicides for the foliar
application, which included Benlate 50WP, the first foliar fungicide labeled for rice in the
United States; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rush first succeeded in regenerating plants from anthers of a U.S.
rice cultivar and was instrumental in the establishment of the anther culture laboratory at the
International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines during his sabbatical leave from 1979 SR NO. 37 ENROLLED
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to 1980; and
WHEREAS, by crossing elite long-grain cultivars with newly identified resistance
sources, over three hundred lines showing sheath blight resistance and high yield potential
have been developed and turned over to the various breeding programs; and
WHEREAS, during Dr. Rush's breeding work, he isolated a rice variety with a purple
grain that remains slightly purple even after milling; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the pleasant aesthetic properties of the purple grain rice,
it is also much higher in antioxidants and healthier than rice found in the store; and
WHEREAS, this new purple grain rice has a tremendous amount of potential to
increase Louisiana rice acreage as well as lead to the development of value-added industries
to process and market this important breakthrough; and
WHEREAS, during his career, Dr. Rush published over three hundred journal
articles, book chapters, and research reports and has served the Rice Technical Working
Group as a member of the Award Committee, Germplasm Advisory Committee, and Local
Arrangement Committee, and as a panel moderator several times; and
WHEREAS, he currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus and Florence
Avalon Daggett Professor in Rice Research; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rush has received numerous awards throughout his career including
the Distinguished Academy Scientist Award from the Louisiana Academy of Sciences, the
Distinguished Rice Research and Education Award from the Rice Technical Working Group,
the Doyle Chambers Research Award from the LSU AgCenter, the Outstanding Plant
Pathologist award from the American Phytopathological Society, the Diversity in the
Workplace Award from the LSU AgCenter, and the Sedberry Award-Outstanding Graduate
Teacher in the College of Agriculture from the LSU College of Agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rush is a dedicated family man and husband to Blanca and his
children Ana, Carrie, Claudia, Michael, and Tomas and his grandson Jacob.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend and congratulate Louisiana State University Professor Emeritus Dr.
Milton C. "Chuck" Rush on his distinguished career and accomplishments in the field of
plant pathology. SR NO. 37 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Dr.
Milton C. "Chuck" Rush.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE