From the development of herd health protocols and management strategies to maintaining leadership roles in teaching and research, these nominees have helped shape the industry throughout their distinguished careers.

The Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame is sponsored by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP), the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Bovine Veterinarian, Merck Animal Health and Osborn Barr, an agricultural marketing and communications company.

“Selected by their peers, each of the nominees represents a legacy of excellence, dedication and accomplishment that make them truly worthy of Hall of Fame recognition,” says Mark Spire, D.V.M., technical services manager for Merck Animal Health.

“During their extraordinary careers, they have played key roles in establishing standards of cattle care and developing health protocols that have had a remarkable impact on our industry.”

Voting is currently underway and concludes Aug. 5.

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AVC and AABP members may vote for one beef and one dairy nominee. AVC members may vote during the organization’s conferences or online. AABP members may vote online.

The third annual Hall of Fame inductees will be honored Saturday, Sept. 21, at the AABP Annual Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2013 beef nominees

  • Robert Bohlender, D.V.M., has practiced for more than 50 years in North Platte, Nebraska, and is considered a pioneer in the beef cattle industry. He developed the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program and also is recognized for having developed numerous health management strategies that have benefited the cow-calf and feedyard industries.
  • Robert Pierson, D.V.M., developed the Colorado State University Student Feedlot Program, which is focused on the study of feedlot health and encouraged the development of vaccination programs used by feedlot owners to treat and control bovine respiratory disease. He is retired and lives in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
  • Don Williams, D.V.M., developed the first national preconditioning program and was instrumental in developing large-scale cattle health programs, training initiatives for feedyard personnel and science-based animal health management protocols. He is retired and lives in Guymon, Oklahoma.

2013 dairy nominees

  • David Morrow III, D.V.M., Ph.D., spent a lifetime committed to dairy cattle health and reproductive physiology and earned numerous  accolades for his teaching and research at Michigan State University. He was honored as the World Dairy Expo Industry Person of the Year in 1997. Dr. Morrow passed away in 2005.
  • H. Fred Troutt, D.V.M., Ph.D., established herd health programs for cattle and swine at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, where he taught large-animal medicine and pathology. He also was founder of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Dr. Trout passed away in 2010.  
  • Elmer Woelffer, D.V.M., is considered by many to be the father of bovine reproductive programs. He received numerous awards, including the AABP Award for Excellence in Dairy Preventive Medicine. Dr. Woelffer remained a private practitioner in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, until his death in 1995.  end mark

—From Merck Animal Health news release