John Hardin, Trustee Emeritus of Purdue University, received an IUPUI 50th Anniversary Chancellor’s Medallion in recognition of his longtime service on the IUPUI Board of Advisors as well as his 24 years on the Purdue University Board of Trustees; his remarkable service to the state of Indiana; and his groundbreaking work in the field of agriculture, especially as a cleared advisor to United States agricultural trade negotiators, laying the groundwork for increased international trade in this area. The Chancellor’s Medallion was presented by Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar on December 11, 2019.
First appointed to the Board of Trustees as an alumni representative in 1992, Hardin is a Purdue University graduate with a degree in agricultural economics. After graduation, he worked as a research associate with the Indiana Regional Medical Program while farming part-time. In 1971, he began farming full-time and helped to expand the family hog farm operation located in Hendricks and Marion Counties.
In 1986, Hardin was selected as a Purdue Old Master, and in 1992, Purdue honored him with a Certificate of Distinction for Service to Agriculture and as a Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus. He is a member of the Purdue President’s Council, the College of Agriculture’s Dean’s Club, and the Agricultural Alumni Association.
A respected leader in the field of agriculture, Hardin has served Indiana and the United States in a variety leadership roles. Under former Governor Otis Bowen, he was a member of the Rural Policy Commission, serving as chairman of its committee on preserving Indiana’s agricultural resource base. He also served as chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade Advisory Committee and past president of the National Pork Producers Council. A leader on commodity issues, Hardin was vice chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Committee for Trade to the U.S. trade representative and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture from 1996 to 2001. In addition, he served as an advisor to the international trade negotiators.
For his service and achievements, Hardin has received numerous awards including Indiana’s Pork All-American and the Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer awards. He was inducted into the Pork Industry Hall of Fame in 2002 and received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Meat Export Federation in 2007.