Four packaging professionals have been elected to the Packaging Hall of Fame, Class of 2003. They, along with the Packaging Leader of the Year Adolph Gottscho Inc., were honored on Monday, Oct. 13 at the Packaging Education Forum's Leadership Awards Ceremony.

William E. (Bill) Archibald has dedicated 34 years to packaging. He has worked in the resin, converting and end-user fields, including Mead Packaging, Wilson Foods, Hunt Wesson and General Mills. He holds more than 50 patents, 10 of which enhance delivery of microwave food products to the consumer, such as the cook-in meat bag.

William R. (Bill) Armstrong has been involved with every university that has a packaging program for more than 25 years. His contribution to the economic advancement of the packaging field has been primarily at Sealed Air. His direct responsibilities involve the Packaging Design and Test Laboratories.

Richard G. Lee founded Econocorp in 1954. Active in PMMI, he served as chairman of the Product Safety committee, chairman of the Global Marketing committee, a member of the board of directors and executive committee, and chairman of the board in 1987. Lee was also a pioneer in the global marketplace for U.S. packaging equipment.

Arnie Orloski Jr. began his packaging career on the editorial staff of Packaging Digest in 1977. In 1994, he joined the then-new Summit Publishing to become chief editor of Packaging World, where he is now executive editor. He has taught a broad audience over the years about extending shelf life, improving barrier properties, minimizing energy consumption and assuring tamper evidence.

Also at the PEF event, the Italian Trade Commission announced the 2004 Italian Packaging Technology Award, an essay-writing competition for packaging students. Introduced were the 2003 award winners and their three accompanying professors who visited packaging companies in Italy in June. They are: Michigan State University, Michele Poppino and instructor Ronald Iwaszkiewicz, coordinator of the school of packaging; Virginia Polytechnic University, Stephanie Penn and instructor Joseph Marcy, Food Science and Technology; University of Wisconsin/Stout, Neal T. Anderson and packaging program director Ken Neuberg; California Polytechnic State University, Jeffrey A. Byers; Clemson University, Vivek A. Chougule; Rutgers, Mary Hiras; University of Puerto Rico/Mayaguez, Maria Angelica Velaszquez.

The PEF board recognizes the long-standing suppport of college-level packaging education and signficant financial backing by Adolph Gottscho Inc. Last year, Eva Gottscho, chairman and president, pledged $1.5 million toward the construction of a teaching laboratory at Rutgers University. "In a region rich in pharmaceutical activity, it's critical that Rutgers contribute signficiantly to packaging innovation," said Michael Klein, dean of the School of Engineering. Both Mrs. Gottscho and her late husband, Ira, were inducted into the Packaging Hall of Fame, in 1986 and 1973, respectively.

For more information on the Packaging Education Forum, call 703/243-5717. Circle No. 401.