

Kenyon T. Payne was Chairperson of the Department of Crop Science until 1969 when he took over the Two Year Ag. Tech Program for Golf Turfgrass Management. While there he worked with Professor Beard to get the program on solid ground. Approximately 800 students have graduated under Dr. Payne's leadership. He was an avid supporter of excellent golf turf and did work on breeding Red Fescue resistance to Leaf Spot disease. Dr. Payne also served as treasurer of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation for a number of years and was very well known in the University and in the industry nationwide. In his honor, what was the Outstanding Student Award, was renamed the Kenyon T. Payne Outstanding Student Award.

Congratulations to the 2008 Kenyon T. Payne Outstanding Student Award winner, Dominic Cercone. Presenting the award is MTF Director and Scholarship chairperson, Mr. Dan Boak at the Great Lakes Trade Expo in Grand Rapids.
1968 Scott Sincerbeau
1969 Thomas Gauthier
1970 J.L. Mike Donahue
1971 M. Joseph Yoder
1972 Michael Hemquist
1973 Donald Ratcliff
1974 Thomas Mason Jr.
1975 James Wile
1976 Carl Jacobs
1977 Bruce Williams
1978 Les Rutan
1979 Patrick Klein
1980 Patrick Berger
1981 Brad Emerick
1982 Dan Garson
1983 Frank Dinelli
1984 David Schwall
1985 Kenneth Zack
1986 Niall Fraser
1987 Jeffrey Dorrell
1988 Douglas Palm
1989 Bob Warner
1990 Dave Faucher
1991 Steve Southard
1992 Gary Krokker
1993 Michael Powers
1994 Robert Marshall
1995 Mark Wallace
1996 Michael Lyons
1997 Charles Goode
1998 Dennis Cook
1999 Troy Rice
2000 Joel Comstock
2001 Kevin Kuehne
2002 Mick Ide
2003 Charlie Romines
2004 Brian Roberts
2005 Trever Thorp
2006 Daniel Koops
2007 Eric David
2008 Dominic Cercone