Ed McLeary Distinguished Professorship in Aquatic Animal Health

Join us in supporting this distinguished professorship position.

ln 1945, Ed McLeary and Ken Drew founded Troutlodge in a small house in Soap Lake, Washington. Today the enterprise has grown to become the world's largest producer of trout eggs. air shipping more than 300 million eggs throughout the U.S. and to more than 30 countries annually. A key to Troutlodge's pioneering success has been their meticulous attention to quality as assured by rigorous health safeguards.

In 1994, discussions between Troutlodge and the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine resulted in yet another pioneering milestone for the aquaculture industry. Since foreign and domestic diseases represent a great threat to both farmed and wild salmon and trout, researchers at WSU designed and implemented the nation's first aquatic animal health inspection service offered by a state veterinary diagnostic laboratory and approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. 

The service is available through the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory housed in the veterinary college. With Troutlodge's remarkable industry experience as guidance and under the aquatic animal disease expertise and leadership of WSU veterinarians, laboratory guidelines for fish health inspection services were written. The guidelines were so well matched to the industry's needs and the needs of society for quality assurance that the USDA adopted them as the benchmark for all other laboratories seeking to provide similar services. Submissions to WSU's service have grown more than 20-fold and now represents a significant economic impact to Washington.

The foresight of Troutlodge, WSU, and the Washington State Legislature brought about the nation's first USDA approved aquatic animal health inspection service based in a fully accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Private funding will ensure that aquatic animal health remains a primary area of focus in the WSU veterinary college in service to the industry. 

The Ed McLeary Distinguished Professorship in Aquaculture is a unified effort among Pacific Northwest aquaculture producers to permanently endow all aspects the industry's interest in a healthful product capable of competing effectively in any of the world's marketplaces. 

Troutlodge pledged a lead gift to match dollar for dollar all gifts up to a total of $250,000. This generosity established the Ed McLeary Distinguished Professorship in Aquatic Animal Health among the most prestigious of all positions in higher education in the nation.