05/17/05 In memory - George Ing

Today's services in Hood River for fruit industry legend George Ing are among the many tributes shared in the days since Ing's passing. Some in the fruit industry may only have known Ing through is very popular "Good Fruit Grower" columns. MCPHERSON: But they only really reflect part of what George meant to the tree fruit industry. But a lot of us also know for over thirty, forty years, one of George's principal obsessions and passions was research related to tree fruit. Jim McPherson was Ing's successor as Manager of the Washington State Tree Fruit Research Commission. Ing was among the many founders of the Commission and among its spearheads for growth over a three decade period. MCPHERSON: The research and development technology transfer extension that's happening in Washington is really the envy of a lot of places. It wasn't always the case. When George began in the sixties, we didn't have a lot of the capacity that we have right now. So in fact what we take for granted now is there due to work by people like George Ing. Ing's roles also included a term as President of the Washington State Horticultural Association. But McPherson says Ing's legacy with the industry remains not only with the infrastructure he helped create, and the guidance he provided, but in the influence he continues to have on industry leaders. MCPHERSON: I think one of the legacies he left was a number of other industry folks that are supercharges and energized about the impact that research can have.