Auburn’s Ag Hall of Honor, Pioneer Awards Scheduled Feb. 23
Five men who have made significant contributions to Alabama agriculture will be honored Feb. 23 when they are inducted into the Auburn University Ag Alumni Association’s Hall of Honor/Pioneer Award gallery.Those slated for induction into the Hall of Honor, which honors living Alabamians for their achievements in and for Alabama agriculture, include Huntsville cattleman and businessman Raymond B. Jones; Dr. William E. Hardy of Auburn, former College of Ag dean for instruction and a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology; and Dr. William E. Powell of Montgomery, executive director of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.Those being honored with Pioneer Awards, which are given posthumously to Alabama agricultural leaders, are Jamey M. Clary of Akron and Ross Debter of Horton.Jones, a native of Huntsville, is chief executive officer of G.W. Jones and Sons real estate, engineering and insurance company in Huntsville, and he and his son, Raymond Jr., operate cattle farms in Madison, Marshall and Jackson counties.Hardy, a Virginia native, has been an Auburn faculty member since 1972 and served as associate dean from 2000 to 2007. He received his juris doctorate degree in 1997 and began teaching ag law.Powell, who grew up on a cattle and timber farm in Washington County, has been a leader in Alabama’s and the nation’s cattle industry and agribusiness sector for almost 25 years. Holding a bachelor’s and Ph.D. in animal science from Auburn, Powell was the first president of the AU Agricultural Alumni Association.Pioneer Award winner Clary, who died in 2007 at age 55, was raised on a family farm in Akron, Ala,, earning a bachelor’s in agricultural education from Auburn in 1974 and a masters in adult and vocational education in 1982. A long-time Extension agent, he worked with 4-H programs in Houston, Etowah and Tuscaloosa counties and was Extension coordinator in Hale County.Debter, a native of Horton, worked from a young age collecting eggs and other produce to market in Birmingham. A member of the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame, he was instrumental in the passage of state legislation to insure better eggs for consumers and a fairer market for growers.For more information about the Hall of Fame ceremonies, contact Elaine Rollo at rollome@auburn.edu or (334) 844-3204.