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CORVALLIS - Harold Youngberg of Keizer is one of 41 men and women who were honored as Diamond Pioneers Tuesday, Oct. 14, by the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences.

Youngberg, nominated for the registry by the OSU crop and soil science department, started his career with the OSU Extension Service as an Extension agent in Washington County in 1960. He then moved to the OSU campus as a specialist first in seed certification and then seed production. He added a research component to his appointment in 1970.

His interest and work in international agriculture is often cited, especially working with research and Extension counterparts in New Zealand, Australia, Columbia and the United Kingdom. In the mid-1980s, he served as campus director of an agricultural project in Sri Lanka.

After retiring from his research and Extension duties in 1989, he took a two-year assignment in Bangladesh to help develop a postgraduate agricultural institute. The governments of the United States, Japan and Bangladesh sponsored the project.

After fully retiring, he and his wife Bonnie moved from Corvallis to Keizer. Recently Youngberg has been working part time with the Oregon Seed Council as manager of a market access program.

Youngberg and the others added to the College's Diamond Pioneer Registry were guests at a luncheon hosted by Dean Thayne Dutson at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center in Corvallis. Guest speaker was John V. Byrne, OSU president emeritus and a fellow member of the 2003 Diamond Pioneers.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the registry, which honors those 75 years and older for their contributions to agriculture, their communities and OSU. The award has been given to 746 persons, including this year's group.

Others honored are Virginia Tubbs, Adams; Fred Warner, Baker City; Kenneth Beebe, Central Point; Don B. Anderson, Cornelius; Alfred Haunold, John V. Byrne, Charles Leach, William McGuire, H. Joe Myers, Burdette Peterson, Roger Peterson and Dale Weber, Corvallis. Peter Jensen, Halsey; Vincent D. Dobbin and Glen Grossen, Hillsboro; Ralph Hart, Island City; Arlene Oliver, John Day; Andrew Greeley, Jordan Valley; James Elings and James Kerns, Klamath Falls; John Shipley and Donald Thompson, Moro; Keith Gressley, Isao Kameshige and William Panike, Ontario. Robert Ramig and Virgil Rupp, Pendleton; David Lowry, Phoenix; H. Ronald Cameron, Portland; Len Forster and Floyd Smith, Shedd; Don Grabe, Sisters; John R. Thienes and Eldon Wagenblast, The Dalles; Carl Froude and Beverly Froude, Tigard; Carl and Irene Bosch, Tillamook; John Bishop, Vale; and Everett Metzentine, Wamic.