Recipients of the Doctor of Pipes Award (1998 to Present)

Doctor of Pipes is an honorary title the pipe community bestows on its own. Its first two recipients were announced in 1998 at the international pipe and tobacciana show organized by the Chicagoland Pipe Collectors Club (CPCC): the show's founder and antique pipe collector Frank Burla, and Tom Dunn, who published The Pipe Smoker's Ephemeris for more than forty years.

More than fifty names have been added to the list since, and the title is considered one of the most respected distinctions the pipe world confers on its own members.

Criteria and Selection Process

A candidate must have spent at least twenty years in the pipe community and, during that time, left a concrete mark on the craft, publishing, organizing, or product-development side of the hobby. Since only two titles are awarded each year, the field is narrow by design; one slot is reserved for someone working in the industry, the other for the collector-enthusiast side.

The process runs entirely from within. A name can only be put forward by an existing titleholder, accompanied by a citation detailing that person's accomplishments; the citation is sent to every living Doctor, and the decision is made by their vote. The presentation ceremony is traditionally held at the Chicago show, before the community.