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CORVALLIS - E.E. "Ed" Bonham of The Dalles, Wasco County Extension agent emeritus, will be honored as a 2002 Diamond Pioneer Thursday, Oct. 17, by the Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences.

He is one of 43 men and women being added to the college's Diamond Pioneer Agricultural Achievement Registry. The registry, in its 19th year, began when the college marked its 75th anniversary. The registry honors those 75 and older for their contributions to agriculture, natural resources, and OSU.

The 2002 class will be guests at a luncheon hosted by Thayne Dutson, dean of agricultural sciences, at the OSU Alumni Center. The featured speaker will be Gary Stewart of the Leadership Oregon Institute.

Bonham is being cited for his work with the 4-H program, particularly for his support of adult volunteer leaders, such as Mary Ward, who helped develop the 4-H style revue at the Wasco County Fair, and Homer Curtis, long-time leader of the 4-H Electrifiers club. Forty-five of the club's members have gone on to careers in the electronics industry.

Bonham, with Jack Thienes, another Wasco County Extension agent, developed the sixth-grade school forestry tour with the cooperation of the Mountain Fir Timber Co. In the 1960s, during the War on Poverty, Bonham was in charge of the Wasco County Neighborhood Youth Corps program, which involved about 150 young people during the summer months.

Bonham began his career with the OSU Extension Service in 1955. He was assigned to Wasco County Oct. 1, 1955, retiring from the county Extension staff Oct. 1, 1986.

Others being honored are Marjorie Luce, Ashland; Forest Sneva, Burns; Fred Panusis, Central Point; John Adair, James Baggett, Norman Bishop, Dave Church, Howard Horton, Glenn Klein, Francis Lawrence, W. Orvid Lee, Robert Schoning, William Stephen and Maxine Thompson, Corvallis; Wren Case, Cove; E. LeRoy Stone, Eugene; Lyell Gardner, Gaston; Walt Schroeder, Gold Beach; Thomas Davidson, Russell Dorran and Charles Norris, Hermiston; Rob Hukari and Robert Nickelsen, Hood River; Bill Howell, Imbler; Henry Krebs, Ione; James Pitney, Junction City; Mary Fitzgerald, Lakeview; Jay Binder, Madras; Stanley Christensen and W. Wayne Roberts, McMinnville; Hugh Kennington, Ontario; Darrell Maxwell, F. Vance Pumphrey and Charles Rohde, Pendleton; Broughton Bishop and Donald Ostensoe, Portland; Lyle Klampe and Kenneth Meier, Salem; Bill McKee, Tigard; Hank Hess and James Wampler, Waldport; and Te May Ching, Fremont, Calif.