Born 15 Feb. 1919 in Prescott, AR, former ASHS President Dr. Warren S. Barham died on 16 Apr. He married Margaret Alice Kyle (deceased 1997) in 1940, and they had four children (Barbara Mes, Juanita Contin, Margaret Ann Barham, and Robert Barham); 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren). Dr. Barham married Evelyn Csongradi in 1998; they were married until her death in 2003.
Dr. Barham received his BS degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in 1941 and his PhD in plant breeding, vegetable crops, and plant physiology at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 1949. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II from 1942 to 1945, Dr. Barham became assistant professor of horticulture at North Carolina State University, Raleigh. There he taught plant breeding and graduate research until 1958. Later he became director of Raw Products Research for Basic Vegetables in Vacaville, CA, until 1976, and then professor and head of the Horticultural Sciences Department at Texas A&M University, College Station, until 1982.
After retiring from Texas A&M at age 65, Dr. Barham moved to California and formed Barham Seeds, Inc., in 1985. He then went on to become a pioneer in the development of seedless watermelons. Dr. Barham's research included identifying and developing solutions to long-standing issues for plant breeding in various crops including onions, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, and cucumbers.
In the community, Dr. Barham served as a school board member in Vacaville for 10 years, as a Rotarian for more than 50 years, as a member of a parks and recreation commission in Gilroy, CA, and as a volunteer at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
A long-time ASHS member, Dr. Barham was named a Fellow in 1973. He served the society as vice-president of Industry, and as president of ASHS in 1982. He also served as chair of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, 1993–96, and chair of the Fellows Screening Committee, 2004–05.
