The Data Bank of The American Daffodil Society was the brainchild of Dr. Tom Throckmorton of Des Moines, Iowa. A surgeon at Iowa Methodist Hospital, he was familiar with medical records stored on computers, and proposed a daffodil computer bank to the Board in 1964. Records were kept on the Hospital mainframe. Printouts could be had from the Hospital, and were the “final word” on classification at ADS shows. In 1993, the data bank was re-named The Tom D. Throckmorton Daffodil Data Bank in his honor.
The records were kept on the Iowa Methodist Hospital computer until 1989 when the ADS acquired a computer for the office. Beginning in 1990, input of data from the Hospital records began on the office computer using the PFS Professional File program, and ran in parallel with the Hospital records. In the fall of 1991, data bank upkeep was turned over completely to the ADS office computer. As computers became more and more a part of our lives, ADS was fortunate to have as members Nancy Tackett and Ben Blake, who were both very computer literate. In 2006, the data was imported into a program which Ben wrote, and so DaffSeek was born. Ben has added more and more features making it available on most electronic devices, so printouts were no longer needed. When questions arise about classification now, one only needs to dial into DaffSeek from a mobile phone to access all the records.
From time to time, a pocket-sized publication which could easily be used at shows, Daffodils to Show and Grow, was published.
The last printout was in 2010, and can be seen here.
George offers book on daffodils; Daffodil Journal, June 1965
Samantha Joins the ADS, Tom D. Throckmorton, The Daffodil Journal, March 1969
A Proposal of Marriage, Tom D. Throckmorton; Daffodil Journal, March 1973
The Tom D. Throckmorton Daffodil Data Bank, 2010
Daffodils to Show and Grow, 2011