Vogel, 82, was honored for his breeding of semidwarf wheats, which helped spawn the "green revolution" and contributed to an increase in the world's food supplies. The 74-year-old Koprowski, who has been director of the Philadelphia-based independent biomedical research center since 1957, was recognized for his contributions to rabies vaccine research and development. Each of the honorees received a $10,000 cash award, a copper medal, and a certificate.
Herbert Rothbart, director of the United States Department of Agriculture's Eastern Regional Research Center and a member of the awards' advisory committee, said at the ceremony that Vogel's contribution was "breeding stiffer, shorter wheats that would not get stuck in the rain and rot. In the 1950s, his semidwarf wheat increased productivity 100 percent for the farmers." Eventually, the seeds were provided to underdeveloped countries. "In just the state of Washington, today, the semidwarf wheat is worth $60 million a year to ...
