CALF_News_December_2020_January_2021

36 CALF News • December 2020 | January 2021 • www.calfnews.net had grown to be the largest company in the world of its type with 235 employees Today, Bill’s systems are still used as the standard in beef and dairy operations across the U.S. and Canada. Bill also founded Amarillo Steel Fabricators in 1973 in Amarillo, Panther Lake Ranch in 1976, Bluestem Ford in 1977, Pawhuska Dozer and Field Service in 1978, and Latigo Oil Company in 1978, all in Oklahoma, and Bill’s Backyard Classics in 2015 in Amarillo. Bill Pratt’s legacy lives on not only throughout the beef industry as a ground-breaking pioneer, but in the lives of all the countless people he touched.  ROBERT ‘BOB’ CLAUDE HUMMEL , 83, passed away Oct. 27. A dual graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s in agriculture and a veterinary degree in 1961, Bob also completed the Owner-President Management Course at Harvard University in Boston, Mass. He began his career in 1961 as a Tech- nical Service Veterinarian with American Cyanamid Company. In 1967, he and his partner, Jim Loughlin, cofounded Great Plains Chemical Company, Inc., in Greeley, Colo. They later changed the name to Lextron, Inc., which became one of the largest animal health product distributors in the U.S., with a heavy emphasis toward the beef industry. In 2011, after a merger withWalco Interna- tional, the name was changed to Animal Health International, Inc., In June of 2015, Animal Health International was sold to Patterson Companies and continues to operate under the Animal Health International name. He will be remembered not only for his sharp business ethics and strong leadership, but for his boisterous laugh, lively TRAIL'S END Continued from page 36 personality and hardy hellos upon entering a room. Bob was an honest man who told it like it was and never backed down from a challenge: traits that served him well in all aspects of his life. He was benevolent, strong-willed and a friend to all. Bob’s passion for education and generous spirit has touched the lives of many and will continue to do so for years to come.  Longtime Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) Board member and champion BARRY FLINCHBAUGH passed away on Nov. 2 at the age of 78. Barry, professor emeritus at Kansas State University’s Agricul- ture Economics Department, was a fervent supporter of the KARL Program and a driving force in the leadership program’s conception. Barry helped establish the KARL program by recruiting a group of Kansas agriculture leaders from the state’s core ag organizations for the original KARL Board of Directors. A native of Pennsylvania, Barry earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State before earning a doctorate from Purdue. He came to Kansas State in 1971, where he put Kansas State and its agriculture economics program on the map and made it the standard in the development of policy both statewide and nationwide. He brought his expertise to the classroom and the board room. In both places, he preached compromise and common sense. He gave his career to making agriculture better to making Kansas better. He counseled everyday leaders and kings of the industry alike. He was the quintessential kingmaker. Please see the “Recollections” column on page 38 for Bob Josserand’s obituary.  Bob Hummel Barry Flinchbaugh Shaken or Stirred? How do you take your CALF News ? In your mailbox or on your screen – we aim to please. www.calfnews.net