Years: 

1897–1988

Year Hutchinson Medal awarded:

1967

Originally from Michigan, Godshalk began his career at the Morton Arboretum in 1921 as a foreman of construction, recommended by renowned landscape architect O.C. Simonds; in 1922 he became superintendent, implementing Simonds’s vision of naturalistic landscapes with winding paths, open lawns, and meadows. Godshalk served as director of the Arboretum for 32 years, from 1934 to 1966, and remained active post-retirement as director emeritus, consulting on arboretum projects at the Morton as well as Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles, Michigan, and Hawthorn Hollow Arboretum in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Godshalk’s work helped shape the Morton Arboretum into a leading center for botanical research, public education, and ecological restoration. His emphasis on native landscapes and prairie restoration was ahead of its time and remains influential in modern horticulture and conservation.

Career highlights:

• 1940: Helped organize the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums, serving as its second president
• 1962: Initiated one of the Midwest’s earliest prairie restoration projects, restoring 50 acres of eastern tallgrass prairie.

Honors and awards:

• Arthur Hoyt Scott Horticultural Medal (Swarthmore College)
• Thomas Roland Medal (Massachusetts Horticultural Society)
• Johnny Appleseed Medal (Men’s Garden Clubs of America)