John Michael Thresh, Founding Father of Plant Virus Epidemiology: A tribute

- John Michael Thresh's foresight and perseverance resulted in plant virus epidemiology being established as a separate Committee of the International Society of Plant Pathology in 1978.
- Among his many positive attributes, we highlight his resolve for focusing on the problems at hand, his generous demeanour and character, his enormous influence on those around him, and his deep humanitarianism.
- His skillful editing and his influential writing of reviews on plant virus ecology and are truly remarkable. His many reviews, and the books and special journal issues he edited contain such a wealth of critical information on the subject that their value to the discipline cannot be over stated.
- The Committee of Plant Virus Epidemiology, at their last business meeting in Avignon, June 2016, made the case that the aggregate of these and other attributes provide overwhelming evidence that Mike merits the title, “Founding Father of Plant Virus Epidemiology.”