Remembering Frank Goodhart

Remembering Frank Goodhart

I was asked if I would be willing to write something about Frank which could be used during the dedication of the dwarf conifer garden which he and Joan were donating to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum.

I said I would be glad to do so. Little did the requester know, many years ago at the very first American Conifer Society (ACS) meeting which Carole and I attended, the first individuals who welcomed us were Frank and Joan Goodhart. We didn’t know a soul in the ACS at the time and it was comforting to be greeted and “shown the ropes” by a couple of conifer veterans. It is quite appropriate I should offer a few words about Frank. Of course, Joan was always the wind beneath Frank’s wings. While she never sought the limelight, Joan was always very active and supportive. I suspect she was a key to Frank’s success.

Frank is a unique individual. He is incredibly intelligent and articulate, yet remained a polite, considerate professional who was also humble. Frank always focused on the results and did not care who got the credit. He was always ready to step forward and help wherever it was needed. As a result, Frank’s contributions touched on all aspects of the ACS.

Frank has been an active ACS North East Region (NER) member and served as its President. In the NER, he helped organize numerous ACS regional meetings, National meetings and several Post Tours.

Frank is a skilled writer and authored more than a dozen articles which were published in either the previous ACS Bulletin, or the current ACS Conifer Quarterly. Several of his article were in praise of some of the ACS founders and early contributors, so it is fitting I should, in turn, be praising Frank. He had a passion for conifers, of course, but in particular he was fascinated with Sciadopitys verticillata. His articles on this particular conifer and cultivars are scholarly and informative.

He also presented several lectures during ACS meetings.

Frank was also quite active at the ACS National level, serving in all the chairs as a Board of Directors member, Vice-President, President, and Past President.

When reflecting on all Frank has done, with Joan’s support, it is probably not a surprise that Frank was presented one of the ACS’s highest awards. He earned the Marvin and Emelie Snyder Award for Dedicated Support of the ACS.

Respectfully submitted:

Dennis & Carole Groh

Link to Frank Goodhart's obituary.