Wendell Shauman to receive Monmouth College's Distinguished Alumnus Award
Monmouth, Ill. (10/04/2021) — Wendell Shauman, a 1967 Monmouth College graduate, could simply be described as a "farmer," but that only scratches the surface of his contributions to agriculture. He has taken on various local, state and national leadership roles in the agricultural community in addition to the daily operation of his 1,100-acre corn and soybean farm near Monmouth.
For those contributions, Shauman will receive the Monmouth's Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Alumni Impact Awards ceremony, part of the College's Homecoming weekend festivities Oct. 22-24.
"In my opinion, Wendell is an outstanding representative of what a Midwestern farmer is," wrote his nominator for the Monmouth College honor.
Shauman was also cited for his commitment to his alma mater, going above and beyond his connection with the Class of 1967 by keeping track of and engaging with the classes three years ahead and behind. He also works with the chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, providing valuable networking opportunities. He is currently a member of the Alumni Board of Directors, serving on its Nominations Committee.
"He's the glue that keeps us all together," wrote the nominator. "Wendell is deserving of this award not just because of his amazing career but because he embodies what it means to be a Fighting Scot. He is wholly dedicated to the institution, his former classmates and the future generations of Fighting Scots."
A chemistry major at Monmouth, Shauman earned a master's degree and a doctorate in genetics from the University of Nebraska. In his early career, he was a corn breeder for Funk Seeds International and managed its Midwest territory.
Shauman has served the nation's agricultural community in several ways, most prominently in his role as chair of the U.S. Grains Council. During his seven years on its board, he traveled to three dozen countries, encouraging the foreign purchase of grains produced in the United States.
Shauman has served on a plethora of other boards and committees, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Variety Protection Board, the National Corn Growers Association Research Committee, the Illinois Farm Bureau Board, the Illinois Soybean Board, the Warren County Farm Bureau Board and the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, for which he served as chairman for one year.
In 2015, Shauman was named an Eagle Award recipient, the Illinois Farm Bureau's highest award for agriculture industry advocates.
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