Dr. John Waddell received the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ 2025 Howard Dunne Memorial Award on March 3 during the association’s 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. The award recognizes an AASV member who has made important contributions and provided outstanding service to the association and the swine industry.
Waddell was born and raised on a grain and livestock farm in Central Illinois. Early in his life, he became interested in veterinary medicine by shadowing his family farm’s local veterinarian. He became keenly aware and interested in modern swine health and production after spending a summer on a large, by 1976 standards, farrow-to-finish farm where he was introduced to all aspects of “modern” confinement pork production.
After achieving a BS and DVM from the University of Illinois, he received an executive MBA at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and completed the Executive Vet Program at the University of Illinois. Following graduation, he entered a large animal veterinary practice in rural Nebraska. In 2011, after 30 years in practice, he joined Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a professional services veterinarian where he currently leads a team of five swine veterinarians.
Dr. Waddell’s professional background includes serving on boards and leadership roles in various local, state, and national organizations, such as church, community, civic, philanthropic, government, and professional associations. He served on the AASV Board of Directors, Executive Committee, AASV Foundation Board of Directors, and many other AASV and AVMA committees representing swine veterinarians and producers throughout his professional career.
Upon acceptance of the award, Dr. Waddell said, “It is both an honor and at the same time, very humbling, to be recognized by our friends and colleagues. To be included on the list of many of my mentors and role models makes it a very special honor. It is difficult to feel worthy of such recognition when it really has less to do with what I could have or would have, had it not been for all the others in our association, many who are yet to be recognized for all their contributions. Of course, my career and everything in life, would not have been possible without the never-ending support of my wife, Carol, my sons and their families and foremostly the blessings from our Lord.”
John and his wife of 47 years, Carol, have three sons and seven grandchildren.
