Floyd Andre Award
This citation honors a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumnus or friend who has made outstanding contributions to production agriculture and agricultural business or has had a significant impact on Iowa agriculture. Iowa State University faculty members are not eligible for this award. Selection is made by the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
This award was established in 1978 and is presented annually during Iowa State University’s Homecoming Weekend.
2024 Floyd Andre Awardee
Jim Knuth (’84 english)
Johnston, Iowa
Jim Knuth has made outstanding contributions to Iowa agriculture and the agricultural business industry.
He has more than 40 years of commercial and agricultural lending experience. He serves as senior vice president – lending at Farm Credit Services of America, where he has been a part of the senior leadership team since 1997. Prior to his current role, Knuth led the organization’s Agribusiness and Capital Markets division and started the organization’s AgDirect business model. AgDirect has evolved into the second largest agricultural machinery and equipment lender in the United States.
Beyond his professional contributions, Knuth has remained engaged with Iowa State, specifically the agricultural business major within the Department of Economics. He was instrumental in establishing the Ron Deiter ISU Agricultural Business Club Endowment and the Ron and Lynn Deiter Endowed Chair for Sustaining Excellence in Agricultural Business. Knuth was honored by the Iowa State Ag Business Club in 2021 when they named their campus lecture series after him – Jim Knuth Lessons in Leadership and Life. He continues to be a regular speaker at the event.
Knuth is a former Iowa State football player. He has been married to his wife, Dawn, for over 35 years, and they have four children and four grandchildren. Knuth is a life member of the ISU Alumni Association and a member of the ISU Letterwinners Club.
Past Recipients
- 2023 – Michael L. Peterson, ’84 agricultural business
- 2022 – Robert E. Rust, friend of Iowa State University
- 2021 – Neal (CB) Conover, ’69 animal science, and Dwight Conover, ’74 agricultural business
- 2020 – Jeff Plagge, ’76 agricultural business
- 2019 – Steve Berger, ’86 agricultural business
- 2018 – Jim Christensen, ’82 farm operation
- 2017 – Todd Hall, ’82 animal science
- 2016 – Cindie Marie (DeCoster) Luhman ’83 animal science, ’90 PhD nutritional physiology
- 2015 – Harold Hodson, Jr., ’61 animal science, ’65 PhD
- 2014 – Sig Cornelius, ‘76 farm operation
- 2013 – David Morrison, ‘69 food technology, ‘71 MS chemical engineering
- 2012 – Dennis Casey, ‘64 agricultural business, ’68 MS poultry science, ’78 PhD
- 2011 – James G. Frevert, ’60 farm operation
- 2010 – James C. Borel, ‘78 agricultural business
- 2009 – Dwight Hughes, Jr., ’70 horticulture
- 2008 – Roger Underwood, ’80 ag business
- 2007 – Terry Meyer
- 2006 – Theodore Crosbie, ’73 ag and life sciences education, ’76 MS agronomy, ’78 PhD
- 2005 – Lee Kline, ’51 agricultural journalism
- 2004 – Daryll E. Ray, ’65 farm operation, ’71 PhD agricultural economics
- 2003 – James Penney, ’68 farm operation, ’79 MS agronomy
- 2002 – Ron Holden, ’67 agronomy
- 2001 – Jan Schuiteman, ’74 doctor of veterinary medicine
- 2000 – Duane Halverson, ’67 agricultural business, ’69 MS
- 1999 – Willard Latham, ’63 agronomy
- 1998 – James Bradford, ’56 animal science
- 1997 – Alan Tubbs, ’66 animal science
- 1996 – David Williams, ’53 animal science
- 1995 – Kenneth Bower, ’32 agricultural business
- 1994 – John Greig, ’60 MS animal science
- 1993 – Donald Latham, ’69 agronomy
- 1992 – Derryl McLaren, ’71 agricultural business
- 1991 – Robert Kalton, ’45 MS agronomy, ’47 PhD
- 1990 – Russ Sanders, ’75 farm operation
- 1989 – Varel Bailey, ’62 farm operation
- 1988 – Marvin Walter, ’62 animal science, ’64 MS
- 1987 – William Larson, ’49 PhD agronomy
- 1986 – Raymond Baker, ’28 agronomy, ’91 PhD
- 1985 – Edward Tubbs, ’41 animal science
- 1984 – G. Joe Lyon, ’51 dairy science
- 1983 – Owen J. Newlin, ’51 agriculture, ’53 MS
- 1982 – Robert Skinner, ’49 animal science, ’54 MS
- 1981 – Bob Joslin, ’47 agricultural business
- 1980 – Robert Buck
- 1979 – James Hilton, ’23 animal science, ’65 PhD
- 1978 – George Strayer, ’32 agronomy