UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 28, Page 6
April 20, 1995
Alumnus/employee receives '95 agricultural award

     W Edwin Kee Jr., Delaware '73, '75M, a Cooperative Extension
vegetable specialist, earlier this year received one of the top
agricultural honors in the First State, the 1995 George M. Worrilow
Award.
     The award is presented annually to a UD College of Agricultural
Sciences graduate for outstanding service to the state agricultural
community.
     "The legacy of Dr. Worrilow is still legendary in Delaware
agricultural circles 20 years after his death," Kee said. "To be
associated with an award in his name is something very special to me,
personally and professionally."
     Kee is the first Worrilow Award-winner never to have met the man
for whom the honor is named.
     "He was retired while I was still an undergraduate," Kee said.
"But, his good work and his presence were pervasive, and I was very
much aware of his tremendous contributions to the University and the
state."
     After graduating with a bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1973
and a master's in plant science in 1975, Kee began his career as
manager of Nassau Orchards in Lewes. In 1978, he joined UD Cooperative
Extension as an agricultural agent in Kent County, and in 1982, he
became vegetable specialist for the county.
     Part of Kee's responsibility includes conducting educational
programs and applied research in the agricultural field, as well as
helping to bring new practices and technologies to vegetable growers
and processors in the state.
     Kee and colleagues from the Departments of Entomology and Applied
Ecology and of Plant and Soil Sciences co-author a publication dealing
with fertilizers, herbicides and general production practices.
     He also is involved with the Center for the Improvement of
Vegetable Crops, a coalition of growers and vegetable processors who
are working on research in a commercial-scale setting. Much of it is
done at a 90-acre farm recently transferred to the University.
     A charter member of the Delaware Vegetable Growers Association,
Kee has served as secretary since 1982.
     Helping growers and producers address issues and meet their
educational needs is the focus of Kee's monthly column in the Delmarva
Farmer.
     "I try to address topics that will enhance the operation of a
vegetable farm," Kee said. "One column may discuss the merits of a new
production system, while another may alert growers to proposed new
regulations for pesticides."
     Agriculture is the largest industry in the state, generating $667
million last year in gross farm income, and the preservation of this
industry depends on maintaining profitability, Kee added.
     "In addition to the huge income that multiplies through our
economy, agriculture also maintains open spaces, has a positive
environmental impact and provides livelihoods for thousands of people
in our state and region," Kee said.
      Kee currently is pursuing a master's degree in liberal studies.
     "I got involved in the MALS program almost by accident," he said.
"I signed up for a course, "Themes in African-American History," and I
really enjoyed it. Dr. Bill Williams, who taught the course,
encouraged me to enroll in the MALS program."
     Kee and his wife, Debbie, who live in Lincoln, have two
daughters, Karey, 19, a sophomore at the University, and Jessi, 16, a
sophomore at Milford High School.
     For Kee, receiving the Worrilow award has reinforced his
commitment of service to the community and the University.
     "My parents, because of the Great Depression and World War II,
never had a real opportunity to attend college, but they made sure
that their children could," Kee said. "Since I was a child, I have
heard that the 'U of D' was the greatest place to go to school. I
believe that my parents were right."
                                                         -Jerry Rhodes