Chris Doll Endowed Scholarship
Donate or Apply Today!
How do I donate?
Click here to donate today or contact us at Illinois Specialty Growers Association if you’re interested in donating to the Chris Doll Scholarship.
How do I apply?
For more information and to apply, contact the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Program Services at
https://extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/horticulture.
Chris Doll Scholarship Advances to an Endowment Fund
Thank you for your support!
One year after his passing, the Chris Doll Scholarship was enhanced to an endowment fund through donations, guaranteeing annual scholarship opportunities for the next generation of students pursuing careers in horticulture.
“Chris Doll’s accomplishments have been felt throughout Illinois Specialty Growers Association and his legacy will continue to spark future leaders,” said Raghela Scavuzzo, executive director, Illinois Specialty Growers Association (ISGA). “Sadly, on October 12, 2020, the industry lost the great Carroll ‘Chris’ Doll. In his memory, the Chris Doll Scholarship Fund received donations to ensure its endowment and its ability to award scholarships to students every year. We would like to give a tremendous thank you to the Doll family for their matching donations and their support in fundraising, as well as all who donated and helped get us here.”
The Chris Doll Endowed Scholarship is awarded annually to eligible juniors or seniors who have an interest in horticulture, specifically focusing on fruits or vegetables, in the Department of Crop Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I).
Each fall, students are invited to apply for scholarships administered by the Department of Crop Sciences. The undergraduate programs team, led by the director of undergraduate programs, reviews student applications based on scholarship criteria and student merit to select recipients. Students are selected in the spring semester for these fall awards and may accept the scholarships until July.“
The University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences is grateful to the Illinois Specialty Growers Association, its members and the Doll family for their kind consideration and commitment to higher education in creating an endowed undergraduate scholarship honoring the memory of Chris Doll,” said Dr. Adam Davis, professor and head of the Department of Crop Sciences, U of I. “This scholarship will help future students build the knowledge and skills necessary to support vibrant food systems.”
“This endowed scholarship allows us to recruit and retain top students hoping to make an impact on the fruit and vegetable industry in Illinois,” said Erika Olivares, undergraduate recruiter and academic advisor, Department of Crop Sciences, U of I. “We’re thankful for the support of the Doll Family and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association.”
About Chris Doll
Chris Doll has been associated with the Illinois fruit and vegetable industry since he began duties as Area Adviser in Fruits and Vegetables in 17 southwest counties for the U of I extension in 1965. The position with the University of Illinois Extension Service was to provide transfer of research from the University as well as to conduct programs to promote sustainable education programs in those crops in southwest Illinois and throughout the state. His goals of “improving the quality of life” were aimed at all he served. He retired from the University of Illinois in 1994, but continued to breed and test horseradish varieties for nine years and consulted with both fruit and vegetable growers for 14 years.
During his 28 years of fruit and vegetable work in Illinois, Chris wrote a weekly column for fellow advisers and homeowners, and multiple newsletters via direct mail to growers and marketers of strawberries, tree fruits, vegetables, and horseradish, as well as some articles for the ISGA newsletter. He has attended all but one of the state association meetings and participated as an advisor during the combining of state meetings for the fruit and vegetable groups. He has been recognized with the Horticulture Society’s Hall of Fame, Cider Makers Award, and the ACES Alumni Merit Award.
Chris is native to Illinois having been born and raised on a farm that included apples and peaches near Pocahontas where he went to high school and graduated in 1945. After serving a year in the Navy, he graduated in six semesters from the University of Illinois with a B.S. degree in pomology and continued his education at Kansas State University for his M.S. degree. That led to a position at Iowa State University’s Experimental Fruit Farm at Council Bluffs in 1951. The farm consisted of 100 acres of terraced hill land dedicated to helping perpetuate the fruit industry of southwest Iowa. Research, teaching, and extension were concentrated on both tree and small fruits and resulted in research paper on apple and grape roots, fertilizers for grapes and apples, irrigation, herbicides for all crops, and the introduction of the Black Hawk black raspberry and Chieftain apple.
The area adviser program in Illinois had about the same goal, that of sustaining or expanding both the fruit and vegetable industry through teaching and extension. (By following Dr. Roscoe Randell’s work). The vegetable area was primarily the American Bottoms Area near the St. Louis market area, with most of the acreage being for wholesale. It also included the major horseradish production area of the U.S. and the challenges of growing and marketing. The fruit industry area included 17 and later 22 counties, which had commercial production of strawberries, apples, and peaches for the wholesale market and some established retailers.
Chris has enjoyed living with his wife Irene for 62+ years and now visiting with their 6 children and 16 grandchildren in various states. He has also enjoyed his visits, card playing, and associations with all members of the fruit and vegetable business, or as he is wont to say – the finest people on earth.