Arnold Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman and Keeper of the Living Collections Michael S. Dosmann were among the 2020-21 recipients of Honorary Medals awarded this month by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MHS). The annual awards were presented on November 4, continuing a 190-year tradition by the organization to recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions to excellence in horticulture for the public good.

Director Ned Friedman—eighth director of the Arnold Arboretum and Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University—was among five recipients of the MHS Gold Medal for eminent horticultural accomplishments. Since becoming director in 2011, Friedman has worked to expand the Arboretum’s societal impact through public programming, digital communications, promotion of scientific use of Arboretum collections, and reinvigoration of the Arboretum’s longstanding collaborative work in the biodiversity of Asia. The Gold Medal was awarded to Friedman in particular recognition for successes in public outreach that enhance public understanding of science, horticulture, and institutional plant collections.

Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann—only the second individual to hold that title at the Arboretum—was among four individuals awarded a Silver Medal for noteworthy service in horticulture. Dosmann was recognized for his work as a plant explorer, and interest in the horticultural improvement and conservation of woody plants. In particular, the Silver Medal honors his innovative and visionary accomplishments in curating the Arboretum’s collections and leadership in the field of public gardens.

Michael Dosmann receives MHS Silver Medal
Michael Dosmann, Arnold Arboretum Keeper of the Living Collections, receives the MHS Silver Medal from MHS President and Executive Director James Hearsum. Allegro Photography Inc

The Arnold Arboretum and members of its staff have been honored frequently by MHS Honorary Medals since the early 1900s. These recipients include:

  • Charles Sprague Sargent, Founding Director of the Arnold Arboretum—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1909
  • Jackson Dawson, Arboretum Propagator—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1910
  • Ernest H. Wilson, Keeper of the Living Collections—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1915
  • Oakes Ames, Arboretum Director—Centennial Medal, 1929
  • Ernest H. Wilson, Keeper of the Living Collecctions—Centennial Medal, 1929
  • Susan McKelvey, Arboretum botanist—Centennial Medal, 1929
  • William Judd, Arboretum Propagator—Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal, 1931
  • Oakes Ames, Arboretum Director—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1935
  • Alfred Rehder, Arboretum Curator and Taxonomist—Gold Medal, 1937
  • Elmer Drew Merrill, Arboretum Director—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1946
  • Karl Sax, Arboretum Director—Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal, 1959
  • The Arnold Arboretum—Gold Medal, 1964
  • Alfred Fordham, Arboretum Propagator—Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal, 1965
  • Donald Wyman, Arboretum Horticulturist—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1969
  • Arnold Arboretum Case Estates—Gold Medal, 1977
  • Richard Howard, Arboretum Director—George Robert White Medal of Honor, 1977
  • Bernice Schubert, Arnold Arboretum Herbarium—Silver Medal, 1985
  • Peter Del Tredici, Arboretum Horticulturist and Senior Research Scientist—Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal, 1986
  • Gary Koller, Arboretum Horticulturist—Gold Medal, 1993
  • John Alexander III, Arboretum Propagator—Jackson Dawson Memorial Medal, 1994
  • Robert E. Cook, Arboretum Director—Gold Medal, 1997
  • Peter Ashton, Arboretum Director—Thomas Roland Medal, 1998
  • Robert E. Cook, Arboretum Director—Gold Medal, 2009
  • William (Ned) Friedman, Arboretum Director—Gold Medal, 2021
  • Michael S. Dosmann, Keeper of the Living Collections—Silver Medal, 2021