Volume 11, Issue 1   March 2014 

Joe T. Davis Memorial Golf Tournament

Who: Ag & HES Alumni Association Invites You

When: Friday, May 30, 2014

Registration: 11:00 AM

Lunch: 11:30 AM

Program Begins: 12:00 PM

Tee Off: 12:30 PM

Where: University Club of Kentucky

Attire: NO DENIM. A shirt with a collar is required. Soft spikes only.

Registration forms can be completed online at:

alumni.ca.uky.edu or on page 7 and mailed.

Registration Deadline: April 30, 2014

Insidethisissue:

Dean Announcement 2

Event Photos 3

Great Teacher Award 5

Student Blog 6

Golf Registration Form 7

HES Hall of Fame Nomination Form 8

Hall of Distinguished Alumni

9-12

Thanks To Our Spon-sors 13

Area Chapter Summer Events 4

Upcoming Events

May 30

Joe T. Davis Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament

June – Aug

Area Meetings See Page 5

September 6

Ag Roundup 2014

October 17

HES Hall of Fame

November 2

UK Homecoming

November 22

Scholarship Luncheon

 

 

 

 

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Citing a compelling vision for the future of the college and a national reputation for leadership, University of Kentucky Provost Christine Riordan announced that Nancy Cox has accepted the position as dean of the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

The appointment is subject to approval by the UK Board of Trustees at its December meeting.

Cox will replace Scott Smith, who has led the college since 2001. He plans to return to the fac-ulty, where he has been a member of 35 years. Cox is currently associate dean of research in the college, a position she has held since 2001 when she came to UK from Mississippi State University.

She is widely regarded as a leader in the field, serving on several national policy boards and organizations and has close ties to both civic and agricultural leaders throughout the Common-wealth, which enthusiastically supported her candidacy for dean.

President Eli Capilouto praised both Cox and Smith, saying that the "UK College of Agricul-ture, Food and Environment is widely known as one of the leading colleges in the country. That's, in large part, because of the leadership of Scott Smith and his senior team, including Nancy Cox.

I want to thank Dean Smith for his long service and leadership. I am excited about the prospect of Nancy's continued lead-ership both on our campus and in the Commonwealth, where she is so respected."

"We are fortunate to have found someone with the rare combination of skills, intellect and reputation of Dr. Nancy Cox," Riordan said in announcing the selection. "She is widely known and highly regarded throughout Kentucky for her knowledge and relationships with agriculture, political, and civic leaders. At the same time, she is renowned nationally in helping lead the research and administrative efforts of one of the country's premier colleges of agriculture, including an extension service treasured throughout the Commonwealth."

Among many duties, Cox oversees the college’s research portfolio, which includes $25 million in external awards in Fiscal Year 2012. She currently represents the college on most Kentucky agricultural commodity boards, was the founding adminis-trator of UK’s growing Ag Equine Programs, and has been the key administrator in innovative alliances with private industry such as Alltech.

On the national level, she serves or has served on key federal policy boards such as the American Society of Animal Science and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Advisory Board for Research.

"I am very honored to represent, serve and support the UK Ag community, including its outstanding students, faculty, staff and an extension system known throughout the Commonwealth for its commitment to service," Cox said. "During inter-views for this position, I was impressed once again by the pivotal role the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and its stakeholders play in the economy of the Commonwealth. I look forward to building on that legacy of engagement."

Riordan also thanked Smith for his long tenure as dean, which included leading the college in confronting pivotal issues such as Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome and the end of the tobacco price support program. Riordan said "UK is fortunate that Dean Smith will continue in our faculty ranks, providing his guidance to students, faculty and staff in the college and throughout the university."

Department of Entomology Chair John J. Obrycki, who co-chaired the search committee that helped select Cox, said, “Dr. Nancy Cox impressed the members of the search committee with her breadth of knowledge, administrative experience, and understanding of the land-grant mission of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Ken-tucky. She stressed the need for a shared vision of the future of the newly renamed college and how we will address the di-verse needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

By: Jay Blanton

Nancy Cox Named Dean

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Winter Event Ag & HES Alumni Association Member’s Basketball Bus Trip to Chicago

Ag Ambassador Summit at the University of Florida

Several UKAg Ambassadors traveled to the University of Florida, to participate in the Ag Ambassador Summit in January The students learned about Florida agriculture, met with representatives from Dow AgroSciences, and ambassadors from Purdue, Ohio State, Florida, Auburn, Georgia and Arizo-na. Two UKAg Alumnae and past ambassadors, Kelly Davison ‘08 &’09 and Katie Keith Stamper ‘09 & ‘12 were able to join the group for dinner one night of the Summit. Pictured from left to right are Davidson, Daniella Straathof, Kelsey Lininger, Layne Ellen Duff, Kelsey Knight, Alex Bugg, Kellie Owen, Stamper and Kaitlin Klair.

 

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2014 Ag & HES Alumni Association

Executive Board: President Diana Doggett ‘75, ‘77 Vice President Whitney Stith ‘88 Secretary Martha Nall ‘70 Treasurer Chuck Canter ‘89 Past President Bill McCloskey ‘84, ‘87 At-Large Member Audrey Carr ‘64, ‘72, ’94 At-Large Member Danny Bailey ‘68, ‘71 UKAA Liaison Michelle McDonald ‘84, ‘92

Area Presidents: Bluegrass Matt Koch ‘00 Fort Harrod Brian Osterman ‘00 Green River Darla Kirkland ‘99 Lake Cumberland Sue Stivers ‘57 Licking River Celia Barker ‘95 Lincoln Trail Jeremy Hinton ‘97 Louisville Beth Allison ‘99 Mammoth Cave Grant Hildabrand ‘06 Northeast Danny Bailey ‘68, ‘71 Northern Kentucky Jay Hellmann ‘85 Pennyrile Amanda Conrad ‘05 Purchase Fred Gillum ‘69 Quicksand Jill Conway ‘00 Wilderness Trail Pending

Faculty Representatives: Extension David Herbst ‘82, ‘99 Research Kelly Webber ‘93 Teaching Will Snell ‘83, ‘85, ‘89

Student Representatives: Student Council President Kellie Owen Student Council Vice President Kelsey Knight

Committee Members: Tony Estes ‘88, Bobby Gaffney ‘75, Bart Giles ‘03, Tony Holloway ‘91, Brooke Jenkins-Howard ‘00, ‘04, Liz Kingsland ‘87, ‘94, Stefanie Osterman ‘97, ‘00, Rick Ryan ‘77, Bill Smith ‘70, Daniel Smith ‘01, Myrna Wesley ‘69, ‘76, Amelia Wilson ‘03, ‘06,’11

Area Meeting Dates

Board of Directors Endowment Review

 

Bluegrass

July 25

Fort Harrod

June 23

Green River

July 29

Lake Cumberland

July 28

Licking River

June 10

Lincoln Trail

August 2

Louisville

August 1

Mammoth Cave

July 7

Northeast

July 8

Northern Kentucky

June 3

Pennyrile/Purchase

July 31

Quicksand

July 15

Wilderness Trail

TBA

MARK COYNE RECEIVES GREAT TEACHER AWARD

On March 4 Mark Coyne was honored with the Great Teacher Award. Mark is a professor in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environ-ment Department of Plant and Soil Science, joined the university in 1991 and served as an assistant professor in the Agronomy Department. He has been a professor of plant and soil sciences since 2006 and has served as the Heick Professor of Soil Science since 2012. He is also the director of Grad-uate Studies for the Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Program. Currently Coyne’s teaching responsibilities include Introductory and Ad-vanced Soil Biology; Methods in Soil Microbiology; and Communication in Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences. In addition to teaching, Coyne has served as adviser and co-adviser to more than 25 Ph.D. and master’s students and has served on 53 graduate student committees during his time at the univer-sity. He also advises undergraduate students in National Resources and En-vironmental Sciences and Horticulture, Plant and Soil Sciences. Coyne

serves on the editorial board of Applied Soil Ecology and is a past associate editor of the Journal of Environmen-tal Quality. He is a former chairman of the Soil Biology and Biochemistry Division of the Soil Science Society of America and current chairman of African Cemetery No. 2 Inc.

Dr. A.J. Powell, Jr., 74, died on Wed, Oct 30, 2013. He was predeceased by his parents Andrew and Clara Forquer Powell. He is lovingly remembered by his wife Janie of Henry County (married 51 years); sisters Joan Rains, Sue Hoagland, Ann Cravens and Gene Kirkpatrick; children Julie Powell, Jeff and (Ann) Powell; granddaughter, Lily Jane Powell; and many nieces, nephews and relatives. He was born in Lacie, KY in 1939 and graduated from Campbellsburg High School in 1957. He graduated from UK (BS and MS in Agriculture) and Virginia Tech (PhD in Agronomy). He was a professor and Research and Extension Specialist in Turfgrass for 30 years at UK and served 2 years in the Army in El Paso, TX. Dr. Powell was a proud native of Henry County, dearly loved his work in Turfgrass Science, spending time with his family, and volunteering at his church.

David C. Sparrow died on February 2. Born May 27, 1944, in Lebanon, he was the son of the late George Dudley and Carrie Isaleen Carpenter Sparrow. David is survived by his wife of 47 years, Linda Gale Cassity Sparrow; two daughters, Tabby (Mike) Casey of Eagan, Minn., and Cassinda (Doug) Bechanan of Carlisle, Ky.; one brother; Dr. James W. (Beverly) Sparrow of Enterprise, Ala.; and four grandchildren, Christopher and Lauren Casey, Logan and Fielden Bechanan.

David was the county extension agent for 4-H and agriculture and assistant to the dean of the Uni-versity of Kentucky College of Agriculture for 36 years. He also was on the Central Kentucky Ag Credit board of directors, C.A.P. Committee and D.A.C. Committee. Prior to his role as assistant to the dean, he had been the assistant vice president and director of marketing and public relations for Mammoth Cave Production Credit Association, UK’s Boyle County extension agent for agri-

culture, and the assistant extension 4-H specialist for UK’s College of Agriculture.

David C. Sparrow

A. J. Powell

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Growing up on a small sheep and goat farm, I understood from an early age why my family was heavily invested in growing vegetables, fruit trees, honey and livestock. The forests on my family’s hill farm were a source of profit for us as we cut firewood, gathered nut crops, hunted squirrels, and harvested logs for lumber. As I grew older, I realized the importance of agriculture in sustaining human populations across the United States and the globe. It wasn’t until I began my studies in Forestry at the University of Kentucky that I fully understood the importance of forests in an agricultural context. The U.S. Department of Agriculture houses a multitude of agencies. Including the U.S. Forest Service. In the same way, the UK’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is far reaching in its diversity of academic departments and programs. The CAFÉ’s Department of Forestry has enabled me to appreciate the practice of forestry as a farming enterprise.

Trees are a crop just like corn or tobacco. The differences between trees and row crops are obvious. A crop of soy beans will take one year to mature, whereas in southern pine plantations, foresters may harvest their stands anywhere between age 15 and 35 years depending on what the wood will be used for (i.e., saw timber, biomass, pulpwood, etc.) High value hardwoods like oak, hickory, walnut and black cherry require a longer time for the trees to fully mature and be ready for harvest (80+years). Perhaps the most significant aspect of forests as an agricultural resource is their capaci-ty to provide a suite of ecological services while growing wood products for human use. No one can dispute the value of forests for their ability to clean the air and water, provide wildlife habitat and recreation, and protect the soil from erosion. Forests provide valuable wood products, fuel and wood fiber. Growing trees is like growing gold!

During my studies in the UK Forestry program, I learned that planting trees and restoring the ecological services of the original forests on drastically disturbed sites is a better reclamation strategy than establishing an herbaceous cover of grasses and legumes. I learned that foresters, reclamation practitioners, and soil scientists are planting trees on barren, unproductive surface mined land in my eastern Ken-tucky homeland. Green Forests Work (GFW) is a non-profit organization that was founded in the UK Department of Forestry in 2009. GFW is dedicated to restoring healthy, productive forests on surface mined land initially reclaimed as unproductive grasslands. Their mission extends throughout the entire Appalachian coal fields, which spans across eight states from Pennsylvania to Alabama.

Forests are a renewable resource. By reestablishing forests where we have barren land, the economic opportunities provided by GFW will not only provide for the Appalachian people today but will put those lands on a path that will ensure that a forest is available for use by future Appalachian citizens. For more information on GFW see www.greeforestswork.org.

For more Student Blogs: Visit ukagstudents.blogspot.com To give a gift call the Office for Advancement 859-257-7211. 

Hanna Angel

Home Town:

London, KY

Major: Forestry

Classification:

Senior

STUDENT BLOG

Molly Davis Named Director of The Arboretum

Molly Davis, a Lexington landscape architect, has been named director of The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky.

Davis was a supervising landscape architect at Parsons Brinckerhoff, and international planning and design firm. In her 15 years at Parsons Brinckerhoff, she has been responsible for award-winning design and con-struction projects, several related to interpreting and preserving historic Kentucky landscapes. Davis lived and

worked in England for several years and worked on projects both there and in France. She is a graduate of UK and has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Davis brings a diverse set of skills and experience to The Aboretum. She has extensive experience in public involvement and working with stakeholder groups. Davis has managed complex planning and design assignments in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. She has broad knowledge of Kentucky’s unique landscapes and resources. Her work in Clark County’s Lower Howard’s Creek won top honors from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

She is no stranger to The Arboretum. She was lead landscape architect for the Lower Glendover West (Mississippi Embayment) project that was constructed in 2006-2007. She also served on the new business committee tasked with implementing projects in the Kentucky Children’s Garden Master Plan and is a member of the Friends of The Arboretum.

Davis took over the helm for Marcia Farris, who retired as director after serving in that role since 1999. Farris was the first full-time director. By Carl Nathe, Laura Skillman

To give a gift call the Office for Advancement 859-257-7211

Volume 10, Issue 2 July 2013 Page 7

JOE T. DAVIS MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Friday, May 30, 2014 University Club, Lexington, KY

11:00 AM Registration 11:30 AM Luncheon

12:30 PM Shot-Gun Start 5:00 PM 19th Hole Drinks & Awards

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 30, 2014

____ Golf Team of 4 ($500) *Includes golf foursome, gift, lunch, drinks, 19th Hole and awards. ____ Golf Individual ($150) (we will match you with others) *Includes golf for one player, gift, lunch, drinks, 19th Hole and awards. *Please contact Billy Toombs at (859) 396-6704 for information regarding Hole Sponsorships** Contact/Captain’s Name:_________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________________ 2nd Player’s Name:______________________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________ 3rd Player’s Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________ 4th Player’s Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________

Dress Code for University Club: NO DENIM, A shirt with a collar is required. Soft spikes only.

—————————————————————————————————————————————- AG & HES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP DUES:

____ Lifetime Membership ($200) ____ Annual Membership ($15) CASH, CHECK or CREDIT CARD (Visa, MC, Discover) PAYMENT ACCEPTED Please make checks payable to: Ag & HES Alumni Association Mail registration form & payment to: PO Box 21925 Lexington, KY 40522-1925

Questions? Please contact the UK Agriculture Office for Advancement at 859 257-7211 Or visit us on the web at alumni.ca.uky.edu

Name as it appears on Credit Card:________________________________________________

Credit Card #:________________________________________________________________

Signature:_______________________________ Sec Code______________ $4.00 service fee applies

Grand Total: $____________

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Volume 10, Issue 2 July 2013 Page 11

2014 HES HALL OF FAME NOMINATION 

Please use this form as a cover sheet (also available online at alumni.ca.uky.edu when submi ng your nomina on for 

the School of Human Environmental Sciences Hall of Fame. The nominator is responsible for preparing and sending a 

complete packet of materials. SELF NOMINATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED.  

 

NOMINEE NAME:_____________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Day Phone: _____________________________________             Evening Phone__________________________ 

 

Email Address:________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Profession: _________________________________________________________      Degree/Year: ___________ 

 

NOMINATOR’S NAME: ______________________________________________        Degree/Year:____________ 

 

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

City/Stat/Zip:__________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

Day Phone: _____________________________________            Evening Phone: __________________________ 

 

Email Address:________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

LETTER(S) OF SUPPORT 

Please provide a current resume or curriculum vitae of the nominee and up to 2 le er(s) of support that                      

address(es) one or more of the following items: 

    ◊ Career Highlights        ◊Honors and Awards 

     ◊Community Service Ac vi es        ◊Publica ons 

     ◊University Service        ◊Professional Organiza ons 

Each le er must include name, day/evening telephone number, and email address (if applicable) of its author. 

Mail completed nomina on by May 15, 2014 to:   

Hall of Fame Nomina ng Commi ee, A n: Kim Henken 

102 Erikson Hall, Lexington, KY 40506‐0050 

Applica ons may also be submi ed via fax to (859) 257‐7565 or via email to khenken@uky.edu  

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College of Agriculture, Food and Environment Hall of Distinguished Alumni

Induction Ceremony 2/24/14

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HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Glenn Allen Stith, a native of Meade County, graduated from UK in 1978 with a degree in agricultural economics. Immediately following graduation, he joined Monsanto and for the next 32 years held a variety of positions in the company. At his retirement in 2010, he was a vice president of commercial operations, North America and Latin America North, for Monsanto’s crop protection division.

Throughout his career, Stith approached and embraced challenges with his trademark belief that nothing is impossible to accomplish with the right amount of effort, energy, hard work and focus on the task at hand. He was sought-after mentor and coach who gave countless hours of advice to oth-ers even as he took on larger leadership challenges.

Stith also lends his time and talents to the country’s youth, especially through FFA and Alpha Gamma Rho, Stith, a former Kentucky state FFA presi-dent, is chair-elect of the National FFA Foundation’s Individual Giving Council and past chair of the National FFA Foundation Sponsor’s Board, He and his recently established the Glenn and Maggie Stith Leadership Development Fund Endowment that will provide about $1,500 in scholarship assistance to 110 FFA members to attend the Washington Leadership Conference each year. FFA members who live in Kentucky will be given first preference to receive a scholarship. Stith is a UK Fellow and a recipient of the UK Ag & HES Lifetime Achievement Award.

Herbert Ockerman was born in Chaplin in 1932 and came to the University of Kentucky to play football under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1950. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for the world, an injury changed those plans.

Ockerman went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science in the College of Agriculture and his doctorate from North Caroli-na State University. His professional career has been spent at Ohio State University where he continues to teach today. His alumni, scattered across every continent except Antarctica, include secretaries of agriculture, university presidents, deans, department chairs and directors of research institutes.

Ockerman introduces American students to diverse cultures through study abroad. He is also dedicated to helping international students and has been advisor to 95 graduate students from 35 counties and 86 post-doctorate and visiting scholars from 24 countries. Every Thanksgiving, Ockerman serves Thanksgiving meals to students who cannot go home; many are international students. In 2010, he received the Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award from Ohio State. He received the UK Distinguished Alumnus award.

James “Jim” Mahan, of Lexington, has been an active and important part of Kentucky agriculture since his youth. After receiving his de-gree in animal science from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture in 1967. Mahan devoted hi life to his farm, family, youth and agriculture.

One of Mahan’s nominators noted how his selfless service to Kentucky agriculture and the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environ-ment is characterized by the youth he’s impacted and the programs and infrastructure he’s put into place that will have positive impacts for generations to come.

From opening his farm and sharing it for many years with the local 4-H sheep club, to giving countless hours to 4-H programs, agents and youth, Ma-han has been an advocate for youth leadership and for agriculture. He served on the 4-H Council, assisted in fairs, lamb and horse shows, tractor con-tests, livestock judging team, served as project leader and on state and county extension councils and worked with legislators on behalf of the college. Mahan helped raise funds for the Kentucky 4-H Leadership Center. He served on cooperative Extension boards; Farm Bureau boards including serv-ing a term as president of the Fayette County Farm Bureau from 1979-1980. He is a member of the UK ag & HES Alumni Association and served as president in 1987. He is a member of the Lions Club, the Scovell Erikson Society and a UK Fellow.

2014 Hall of Distinguished Alumni Inductees

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POSTHUMOUS HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Rose Mary Codell Brooks invested her time, energy and material resources in efforts aimed at helping others through volunteerism. A native of Winchester, she earned bachelor degrees in biological sciences and home economics from William and Mary and a master’s degree in home economics education from the University of Kentucky in 1938. During the 1940s she taught home economics at Murray State University and Winthrop College in South Carolina. She served as assistant state superintendent of home economics in North Carolina. She has served on more than 40 boards, organiza-tions and committees. She has received numerous awards and recognition among them the 1981 Sullivan Award from UK, 1985 College of Human Environmental Sciences Outstanding Alumna Award and the 1992 Lexington YWCA’s Women of Achievement Award. She was the first woman on the International Pension Fund of her church, the only woman on the state advisory council for vocational education, the only female trustee of her church, and the first woman chairperson of the Lexington Theological Seminary board, a position she held for three terms. Brooks died in 2009.

Charles D. Bennett was born in Bremen, and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Bennett had many vocations throughout his life. His first was teaching classes to veterans and renting a farm in Daviess County where he started milking cows. He and his wife, Jeannette, moved to Hardinsburg in 1949 and put down permanent roots. Here, he bought a farm and started a dairy business while still teaching courses. In the early 1950s, he worked as the Breckinridge County supervisor for the Agriculture Soil Conservation office while continu-ing to farm. Bennett made a financial investment in the local Farmers Bank and ultimately found his true calling. Under his leadership, The Farmers Bank until 1990 and as chief operating officer until 1993. He served as board chairman of Leitchfield Deposit Bank 2003. Until his death in 2012, Bennett continued to serve as president of Farmers Bancshares Inc., the holding company which owns both The Farmers Bank and Leitchfield Deposit Bank. Bennett was an active member of Hardinsburg United Methodist Church, Gideon’s International, Hardinsburg Rotary Club and the UK Alumni Association. He had an honorary degree from Lindsey Wilson College, was a UK Fellow and a Scovell Erikson Society Member.

Jim Corbin, a Providence, Ky., native, is the father o the modern-day pet food industry. He formulated and extruded the world’s first expanded foods for dogs and cats, catfish, trout and monkeys. Today more than 95 percent of the nutritional offerings made to America’s cats and dogs is in dry form, the technology developed and championed by Corbin. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined the Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis as manager of special chows research in 1954 and soon became the first director of the Purina Pet Care Center. One of their projects was mon-key food which aided in the nutritional health of monkeys used by Jonas Salk in the development of the polio vaccine and sped up the creation of the vaccine. This earned him the Griffin Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the 11,000-member American Association for Laboratory Science in 2004. He died in 2007.

H. David Hilliard was born on a farm in Clinton in 1916. During the depression in 1934, Hilliard managed to get a job with the National Youth Administration (NYA) in Murray, custom hay baling on a farm for two summers. When he wasn’t able to get the job back the third summer, he hitchhiked to Lexington and enrolled at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, where he graduated in 1938. Hilliard taught vocational agriculture for five years in London while completing graduate work. He was instrumental in ensuring that Kentucky farmers had access to quality, certified seed through the Kentucky Seed Improvement Association and worked to ensure the organization had the proper foundation under it through the college. He began growing certified seed on his farm in 1946 and certified seed is still a part of the Hilliard’s farming legacy. He was an ardent supporter of Cooperative Extension and served on the Hickman County Extension Advisory Council. He donated lambs for 4-H projects. He was a life member of the UK Agricultural Alumni Association, the UK Alumni Association and a member of the Scovell Erikson Society. Hilliard was the recipient of the 1979 Distinguished Ag Alumnus Award and the 1982 Thomas Poe Cooper Award. He died in 1996.

George M. Kurtz, a 1937 graduate of the College of Agriculture, went on to become an auctioneer, businessman and farmer in Western Kentucky. Born a Buckeye in 1915, Kurtz showed leadership skills early in his life and was elected president of Kentucky 4-H in 1932. He entered the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1933. At UK, he was a Danforth Scholar, member of the champion SEC UK Livestock Judging Team, president of Block and Bridle, member of Strollers (drama club), member of Lamp and Cross and vice president of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. After working as a county agent for the UK Cooperative Extension Service in Clark and Edmonson counties between 1937 and 1942, he and his wife, Jane, bought a farm near Sturgis where they raised registered Angus cattle and Suffolk sheep. In 1945, he went to auction school and over the next 15 years he became one the top purebred livestock auctioneers in the United States. The company headquartered in Owensboro is one of the nation’s leading real estate auction companies with realtors licensed in eight states. Among his numerous honors are membership in the Kentucky Auctioneers Hall of Fame, National Auctioneers Hall of Fame, UK Animal Science Hall of Fame and being named a UK Fellow. He died in 2010.

Ira E. Massie was born in Stamping Ground in 1919 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. He was employed by the Kentucky Seed Improvement Association as an assistant manager immediately after college. In 1953, he was named extension tobacco specialist at UK and become known for his expertise and outreach. In 1953, he began a tobacco report on WHAS television in Louisville on Wednesday mornings, and in 1955, started a report on WAVE in Louisville. In 1954, he was given a page in The Kentucky Farmer, a monthly magazine sent to tobacco growers in Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio and North Carolina. In 1960, WSAZ in Huntington, W.Va., added his report to their broadcasts, and that same year, the first televised edition of “Tobacco Talk” was presented to Lexington audiences. He served as tobacco editor for two monthly farm magazines. He was considered the leading authority on tobacco and was quoted in many national and international publications. He retired from UK in 1983, but continued his agricultural work, using mass media to reach farmers. Massie was named to the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 1995. He died in 1987.

William A. Seay was born in Missouri but spent most of his early years in Hickman County. He went on to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture at the University of Kentucky and earned his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. Upon completion of his doctorate, Seay returned to the UK College of Agriculture as an assistant professor of soils. At UK, he went on to hold the positions of professor in soils, administrative assistant to the dean and director of the Division of Agriculture and vice director of the Kentucky Experiment Station. Seay was appointed dean of the UK College of Agriculture in 1963. He was appointed by the governor to the Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee and Commission on Agriculture. He served as a member of the National Agricultural Research Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He published many scientific papers on soil chemistry, fertility and the use of radioisotopes. Dean Seay served as dean until his death in 1969 when an airplane he was piloting crashed into a mountain in West Virginia. The auditorium in UK’s Agricultural Science Center is named in his honor.

Page 11 Paw Prints

For nearly 150 years, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has turned out extraordinary alumni who have contributed substantially to their chosen fields, their communities and society. To pay homage to these and future dis-tinguished graduates, the college has initiated a Hall of Distinguished Alumni. This award is the highest honor the college will bestow.

“This recognition is a symbol of the respect and admiration we have for distinguished alumni and serves to encourage exemplary achievements by fellow alumni and current students, “ said Nancy Cox, dean of the College of Agriculture. “Many of our alumni have gone on to become outstanding leaders in their professions and in society, and it is time we acknowledge those contributions.”

The award will be presented annually to no more than two living nominees. Nominations for inductees are being accepted through Sept. 30. Additional posthumous awards will be presented for the first three years to acknowledge the contributions of alumni from earlier generations.

The 2015 date is yet to be determined. Individuals selected must be in attendance to receive the award.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must:

◊ have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, including biosystems and agricultural engineering or the former College of Home Economics:

◊ graduated at least 10 years prior to the nomination deadline;

◊ have made a significant contribution to his/her profession or society in general;

◊ have record of outstanding accomplishments;

◊ have shown evidence of strong support for the College of Agriculture;

◊ not hold political office at the time of nomination;

◊ not be a current employee of the university.

The College of Agriculture Office for Advancement along with the Ag HES Alumni Association administers the program. Nomination materials are available at alumni.ca.uky.edu. For more information, contact Billy Toombs at billy.toombs@uky.edu or 859-257-7211.

2015 HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI CRITERIA

POSTHUMOUS HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI (Cont.) Barbara Ellis Taylor was introduced to the University of Kentucky through her 4-H involvement as a child in Boyle County. In 1950, she entered UK to study in what is today’s School of Human Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture Food and Environment. In 1954 , Taylor graduated from UK and taught high school home economics. She married Clifton Taylor, and together they worked in the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. She also taught in several high schools. She went on to earn advanced degrees from the University of Wisconsin, earning her doctorate in textiles and clothing in 1977. She joined the faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and remained there until retiring in 1996. She served at president of the American Home Economics Association in 1993-1994 and received the association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2002. She was named outstanding alumna at both the UK School of Human Environmental Sciences and the School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences, at the University of Wisconsin. She was a Scovell Erikson Society. She died in 2012.

Henry Dulin White was an internationally renowned and respected third generation horseman. He was born in Hopkinsville in 1927 but moved with his family to Lexington when he was just an infant. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture in 1952, and served in the U.S. Air Force. White was a farm manager of Elsmeade and Plum Lane Farms until he retired in 2002. Among the numerous horses he raised were Singletary, winner of the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Mile; Crytoclearance, winner of the 1987 Florida Derby and Temperate Sil, winner of the 1987 Santa Anita Derby. The latter horses won their respective races on the same day. He was a lifetime member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Manager’s Club earning the distinction of Kentucky’s Farm Manager of the Year 1979. He was director emeritus of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. White was a recipient of the “Hardboot Breeders Award” by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Owners and Breeders. He was a founder of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, a UK Alumni Association Fellow and Scovell Erikson Society member. He died in 2013.

Patch G. Woolfolk was a well-known University of Kentucky College of Agriculture animal science faculty member form 1953 until his retirement in 1986. Woolfolk, a native of Brandenburg, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the UK College of Agriculture and his doctorate from Cornell University. He served his entire professional career in UK’s Department of Animal Sciences. It was also during this time that UK had one of the top Southdown flocks in the country. After directing the sheep research and teaching programs for 16 years, Woolfolk accepted broader responsibilities as associate chair of the Department of Animal Science. He was an active member of the American Society of Animal Science for 39 years and was unanimously elected into the UK’s Animal Science Hall of Fame in 1989. He was a Scovell Erikson Society member. In 2002, the College of Agriculture honored the memory of this respected animal science professor by naming a laboratory the Patch G. Woolfolk Laboratory at UK’s state-of-the art sheep facility located at the C. Oran Little Research Farm in Woodford county. He died in 2001.

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