Dr. Alan James Norden was a leader in developing the “Florunner” peanut variety which is the most widely grown peanut variety in the United States today. It has been grown on 90 percent of the peanut acreage in the Southeast since 1975 and it is estimated that it is worth approximately $750 million annually to the farm economy of the United States. In addition to the “Florunner,” he has released the “Early Bunch” and “Sunrunner” varieties which are widely used in the United States. He is internationally known in his field and has participated on short-term assignments in several countries in Central and South America and in Ghana, Africa.