[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DR. MILTON RUSH

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the distinguished teacher and agricultural scientist, Dr. 
Milton C. Rush. Dr. Rush devoted his career to his students, his 
research, and his tireless efforts to protect and enhance one of our 
most important sources of nutrition.
  Dr. Rush began his career in rice pathologies in 1970 as a professor 
at Louisiana State University after receiving a doctor of philosophy 
degree in plant pathology from North Carolina State University. For the 
next 40 years at Louisiana State University, Dr. Rush has provided the 
agricultural community with invaluable research on rice pathology that 
has greatly benefited farmers throughout the State of Louisiana and the 
Nation. Under his leadership, the LSU rice program experienced its 
greatest years of agricultural research expansion and development. 
Through his years of service as an educator and pathologist, Dr. Rush 
created enduring changes in a wide breadth of research and direction to 
impact and improve the lives of countless students, rice growers and 
consumers within and throughout his community.
  Perhaps Dr. Rush's greatest accomplishment came in his development of 
a new rice variety, which he named after his beloved wife, Blanca 
Isabel. This new high-yielding, early harvest, long-grain rice variety 
was the culmination of decades of research focusing on the epidemiology 
and control of rice diseases, rice tissue transformation, and the 
breeding of disease-resistant rice strains. This new purple rice is 
bred in Louisiana and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant 
properties. His outstanding development of a more healthful and 
nutritious variety of rice will continue to provide unparalleled 
benefits to the citizens and communities of Louisiana and the Nation, 
delivering an improved alternative for generations to come.
  Dr. Rush has been honored frequently during his distinguished career. 
Among these honors are the Florence Avalon Daggett Professorship in 
Rice Pathology, the LSU AgCenter's Distinguished Service Award, the 
Sedberry Award for outstanding graduate professorship, memberships to 
the American Phytopathological Society, the Rice Technical Working 
Group, the Germplasm Advisory Committee, and two terms as president of 
the Louisiana Plant Protection Association Constitution Committee. Dr. 
Rush's career leaves a legacy of accomplishment and dedication to his 
family and all those who are a part of the agricultural communities 
that his tireless work impacted.
  Dr. Rush has been and continues to be an inspiration to all those who 
have benefited from his decades of service to the field of rice 
pathology. It is with my heartfelt and greatest sincerity that I ask my 
colleagues to join me along with Dr. Rush's family in recognizing the 
life and many accomplishments of this incredible mentor, professor, and 
agricultural scientist, as well as his lasting impact throughout the 
Nation.

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