Plantsman of Semmes

Tom Dodd Jr.  May 4, 1915-May 7, 2009​

       
    Tom Dodd Jr. is known worldwide for his many contributions to the Nursery Industry.  He developed new propagation methods and introduced new plants into the trade. Many of the plants commonly used in southern landscapes originated through the careful research and development by Tom.
      He was especially fond of plants that were native to the southeast. However, Tom took many trips all over the world to other climates similar to the southeast in order to introduce something special to the industry. Many times the research plants would end up in the homes of friends, pastors or coaches homes all around the region.
     A trip to Auburn University will reveal hundreds, if not thousands of plants all around the campus given to them by Tom Dodd Nurseries. Over the years the nursery generously donated countless plants to universities, schools, churches and gardens all over the United States. A great legacy of Tom Dodd Nursery is all the beautiful plants that were grown in Semmes and donated or sold far and wide.
     Numerous honors have been bestowed on Tom Dodd, Jr. Among these are the Jackson Dawson Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Garden Club of America Medal of Honor, He was an Honorary Fellow of Mobile College, Received the D. Todd Gresham Award of the American Magnolia Society, and is in the American Nurserymen Hall of Fame.  
​      He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Auburn University.  During  World War II five of his brothers were serving in the military and he was  needed at home to work on the family nursery.
       Another interesting story about his college education concerns that his first year of college was at Spring Hill College. Money was short, but the family being farmers had made plenty of cane syrup so he asked could he trade buckets of syrup for his tuition and so he did. 
       Tom Dodd nursery has been operated by four generations of the Dodd family until it was sold in 2004 to Jack/John Williams who kept the family name.
 
Elizabeth Betsy Dodd- Daughter,
Auburn University College of Agriculture Directory
 

 

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