DLP Profile
Hall of Fame Nomination
2010 Nominee
The Vancouver Dahlia Society (VDS) recognized Frank Snell’s contributions to the dahlia world in 2004 when he and his wife, Margaret, were awarded Honourary Lifetime Memberships. Although we lost Frank in 2009, we continue to benefit from Margaret’s contributions to the world of dahlias, the Federation, and the VDS.
Frank’s contributions to the Federation are too numerous to count, but the following is a highlight of some of his work. Frank and Margaret co-chaired many annual VDS shows where they welcomed competitors from all over the Pacific Northwest. The highlight of these shows was the American Dahlia Society’s National show hosted in by the VDS in 1996. Frank and Margaret chaired the largest show that dahlia growers had ever seen; later national shows would typically be compared to the one in Vancouver. Frank and Margaret could be found at shows all summer, exhibiting and judging; always taking opportunities to teach judging and clerking to novices and open competitors alike. Margaret and Frank taught the novice judging classes held annually in Mount Vernon, laying the foundation for many of our best judges today.
Frank served many roles in the Vancouver Dahlia Society: director, treasurer, Federation representative, and in 1991 he became president. In 1992 the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers also elected him president. In addition to showing and judging, Frank and Margaret also began hybridizing new varieties including Delta Alpha, Delta Coquette, Delta Red, Delta Florence, Delta Jenny, Delta Shirley, Delta Claret, and Delta Marika Anne.