Purdue News

January 24, 1997

Five Hoosiers receive Ag Alumni Association's highest honor

The 1997 recipients are Carl Brown of Otterbein , Cloyce (Red) Clover of Valparaiso , Jack Long of West Lafayette , former U.S. Rep. John Myers of Covington , and John Wright of Muncie .

• Brown's citation says he has had a distinguished career as a successful farmer, agricultural banker, and director of the Indiana Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. His half-century of dedication to agriculture began in 1946 when he completed four years of service with the U.S. Marine Corps, married the former Betty Lou Sundqvist, and began farming in partnership with his brother-in-law. A lifetime resident of Warren County, Brown is now retired, but he and his family continue to operate a progressive 1,500-acre grain and livestock farm.

• Clover's award describes him as an educator, a farmer, a community leader and a friend of agriculture. A 1932 graduate of Purdue's Ag School, his career includes trailblazing programs in agricultural production and marketing, such as pioneering the first milking parlor in Indiana and doing the first research on canned fresh milk. Clover has been involved in Farm Bureau, his Soil and Water Conservation District, and many other ag organizations and activities. He also was a founder of the Purdue Ag Fish Fry and has attended all but one.

• Long's citation says that even though he is not a Purdue graduate or a Hoosier originally, few have served Indiana agriculture and Purdue with such dedication. Long served on the Purdue faculty from 1955 to 1986. He taught poultry science classes, supervised undergraduate counseling, coached the poultry judging team, and taught Ag Winter Short Course classes. He helped develop AnSc 102, "Introduction to Animal Agriculture." Promoted to associate dean of agriculture in 1972, Long directed the School of Agriculture scholarship program and the Ag Winter Short Courses. He also supervised freshman ag lectures, taken by all ag students. He's currently secretary-treasurer of the Agricultural Alumni Trust Fund Committee.

• Myers, who retired this year after a 30-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives, was honored for working with Indiana's agricultural leaders and educators as a proponent of agriculture and rural issues. His citation says that as a member of the House Agriculture Committee and its Appropriations Subcommittee, he played an important role in the development of the 1995 Farm Bill, which instituted much-needed reform in the system. He also sponsored the Midwest Plant Biotechnology Consortium and an initiative to increase the Agricultural Research Service's presence at Purdue. He was instrumental in bringing the National Disabled Farmer Program headquarters to Purdue. Serving as chairman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, Myers helped steer flood-control projects to his farming-intensive district.

• Wright was honored because, in his professional and community activities, he has shown many people the importance of agriculture in daily existence. A 1951 graduate of Purdue's Ag School, Wright went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees at Ball State University. He taught vocational agriculture classes, was an FFA adviser and principal, and later taught at Ball State. A state leader for the Purdue Council for the Advancement of Research, Extension and Teaching, Wright has communicated the importance of the Cooperative Extension Service and research to legislators and citizens. In addition, he has been a tireless supporter of 4-H, including 48 years as a 4-H leader.

Source: Donya Lester, Ag Alumni Association executive secretary, (765) 494-8593; e-mail,

dcl@admin.agad.purdue.edu

Writer: Andrea McCann, (765) 494-8406; e-mail, mccann@aes.purdue.edu

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