The Mary Swords DeBaillon Medal

The highest award given by the American Iris Society strictly to Louisiana Irises. ....................related links; Awards ; 2015 DeBaillon Medal Candidates.

History

This medal is restricted to Louisiana (LA) irises. It is named in honor of Mary Swords DeBaillon (1888-1940).

Mary Swords DeBaillon was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, and she lived in Louisiana all her life. She and her husband, Dan DeBaillon, lived on a fifteen-acre tract 5 miles from Lafayette, Louisiana. She transformed the grounds of her home into a garden renowned for its exquisite beauty and its large collection of native Louisiana plants. She had been growing a few native irises when, in 1932, she visited Caroline Dorman's home, "Briarwood" and saw the large collection of different forms of Hexagonae irises blooming in the garden. Mary DeBaillon realized how varied these irises were and what lovely garden plants they were. She then set out to collect every form of Louisiana's native irises that she could find.

Mary DeBaillon amassed the largest collection of Louisiana irises in the world. She was tireless in promoting these irises as good garden plants and in encouraging any who would listen to grow them. She gained considerable fame as a naturalist and native plant collector. She encouraged collection of the indigenous iris species to save them as civilization encroached on the swamps and bayous. A year after her death the iris enthusiasts in Lafayette organized an iris society and named it the Mary Swords DeBaillon Iris Society. This society became the Louisiana Iris Society in 1948.

The highest award an LA could receive from 1948 until 1985 was the Mary Swords DeBaillon Award. During that period, SLI was an independent unit with no affiliation whatsoever with the American Iris Society (AIS). SLI became a Cooperating Organization of AIS in 1986.

After that date the AWARD was discontinued and replaced with the Mary Swords DeBallion MEDAL, the highest award exclusively for Louisiana Iris. The MEDAL is a part of the AIS award system. All AIS medalists, including the Debaillon medalist, are elegible for the Dykes Medal, the highest award presented by AIS.

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List of DeBaillon Medal winners - Louisiana (LA) Irises:

	'Melody Wilhoit' 2023 - Hooker Nichols	'Watermelon Wizard' 2022 - Hooker Nichols	'When Pigs Fly' 2021 - Patrick O'Connor
'Rooster' 2021 - Ron Betzer	'Dark Dude' 2019 - Ron Betzer	'Lemon Zest' 2019 - Kevin Vaughn	'Michigan Belle' 2019 - Jill Copeland
'Deja Voodoo' 2018 - Patrick O'Connor	'Our Friend Dick' 2017 - Ron Killingsworth	'Blue Mountain Mist' 2016 - Bernard Pryor	'Seminole Sunrise' 2015 - Harry Wolford
'Edna Claunch' 2014 - Harry Wolford	'James Faith' 2013 - M. D. Faith	'Ginny's Choice' 2012 - Wayland Rudkin	'Raspberry Rilla' 2011 - Rilla Hickerson

2010 'Night Thunder' - R. Morgan	2009 'Henry Rowlan' -M. D. Faith	2008 'Great White Hope' - D. Haymon
2007 'My Friend Dick' - R. Butler	2006 - 'Peaches In Wine' - H. Pryor	2005 - 'Red Velvet Elvis' - K. Vaughn
2004 - 'Hot And Spicy' - H. Pryor	2003 - (No Award)	2002 - 'Extraordinaire' - M. Dunn
2001 - 'Praline Festival' - Haymon	2000 - 'Cajun Sunrise' - Mertzweiller	1999 - 'Professor Neil' - Mertzweiller
1998 - 'Bayou Mystique' - M. Dunn	1997 - 'Voodoo Magic' - Rowlan	1996 - 'Professor Jim' - Mertzweiller
1995 - 'Kay Nelson' - Granger	1994 - 'Jeri' - Bertinot	1993 - 'Frank Chowning' - Rowlan
1992 - 'Bajazzo' - M. Dunn	1991 - 'Rhett' - Dunn	1990 - 'Acadian Miss' - Arny
1989 - 'Black Gamecock' - Chowning	1988 - 'EasterTide' - Arny	1987 - 'Clara Goula' - Arny
1986 - 'Ann Chowning' - Chowning

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List of DeBaillon Award winners - Louisiana (LA) Irises:
(Prior to 1986)

1985 - (No Award)	1984 - 'Monument' - Dunn	1983 - 'EasterTide' - Arny
1982 - 'Clara Goula' - Arny	1981 - 'Bryce Leigh' - Chowning	1980 - 'Ann Chowning' - Chowning
1979 - 'This I Love' - Chowning	1978 - (No Award)	1977 - 'Mary Dunn' - Hager
1976 - 'Eolian' - Arny	1975 - 'Charlie's Michele' - Arny	1974 - 'Clyde Redmond' - Arny
1973 - 'Mrs. Ira Nelson' - Arny	1972 - 'Ila Nunn' - Arny	1971 - 'Delta King' - Hager
1970 - 'Marie Caillet' - Conger	1969 - 'Katherine L. Cornay' - Arny	1968 - 'Black Widow' - MacMillan
1967 - 'Dixie Deb' - Chowning	1966 - 'G.W. Holleyman' - R. Holleyman	1965 - 'Frances Elizabeth' - Rix
1964 - 'W. B. MacMillan' - Conger	1963 - 'New Offering' - C. Davis	1962 - 'Dixie Dusk' - Matthews
1961 - 'Louise Arny' - Arny	1960 - 'Amethyst Star' - DuBose	1959 - 'Her Highness' - Livingston (Collected)
1958 - 'Wheelhorse' - C. Dormon	1957 - 'Blue Chip' - S. Smith	1956 - 'Wood Violet' - R. Dormon
1955 - 'The Kahn' - C. Dormon	1954 - 'Saucy Minx' - C. Dormon	1953 - 'Violet Ray' - C. Dormon
1952 - 'Royal Gem' - S. Smith	1951 - 'Cherry Bounce' - Nelson	1950 - 'Caddo' - Trichel
1949 - 'Bayou Sunset' - MacMillan	1948 - 'Mary S. Debaillon' - C. Dormon (Collected)

1978*** Tie between: 'F.A.C. McCulla' - Arny and 'Shrimp Creole' - Ghio

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-- Main.RPries - 2009-12-24