George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Established in 2005 to honor Iowa State University alumni and/or friends who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in writing, teaching, research, or leadership in the agricultural, food, environmental, social, and life sciences
Charles E. Sukup
BS Agricultural Engineering ’76
MS Agricultural Engineering ’82
Sheffield, Iowa
Charles Sukup, president of Sukup Manufacturing Co., has made outstanding contributions to the handling and storage of grain. His contributions helped farmers become more productive and profitable in the United States and throughout the world. The company is the largest family-owned manufacturer of grain handling and storage equipment in the world.
As an engineering student, Sukup’s passion for and knowledge of agriculture spurred his search to find efficient grain drying methods. He became vice president of Sukup Manufacturing in 1976 and president in 1995. His contributions have helped to engineer its growth through improvements and patents. His seven patents range from the sweep auger to an axial fan housing with integral venturi. The company, as a whole, has more than 70 patents.
Sukup is known as a leader in building community and supporting community development. In 2006 and 2007 he served as president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The society has 9,000 members in more than 100 countries. He also helped with a project to drill a well in a Ugandan village; before the well, villagers had to walk for miles to obtain water.
Sukup currently lives on a farm near Sheffield, Iowa, with his wife, Mary Beth, and their three children. He is a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, a member of the Order of the Knoll and Board of Governors of the ISU Foundation, and a member of the Cyclone Club.
