Department of Food Science and Technology

The Ohio State University

Initiative for the establishment of an Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods in the Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University was taken by Joseph A. "Joe" Soehnlen [BS '59], President, Superior Dairy, Inc. Canton, Ohio in a conversation with Dr. Max Lennon, Vice President, Agricultural Administration in early 1985. Beginning in the mid-1960's, there was a progressive reorganization of Dairy Technology/Dairy Science Departments at the major U. S. Land Grant Universities into Departments of Food Science. Ohio State's Department of Dairy Technology (1929-1971) became the Department of Food Science and Nutrition effective July 1, 1971. A 1959 graduate of the Department, dairy industry leader and tireless worker on behalf of the Industry in Ohio and nationally, Mr. Soehnlen was troubled by the continually decreasing emphasis on dairy foods research and teaching at The Ohio State University and other land grant universities. His concern for maintaining an adequate level of dairy foods research and the perpetuation of scientific training for the development of future dairy industry leaders led him to propose the establishment of an endowed chair in dairy foods at The Ohio State University.

Acting on Mr. Soehnlen's suggestion, Vice President Lennon instructed Brad Choate, Director of Corporate Relations, College of Agriculture and John Lindamood, State Extension Specialist, Dairy Technology to meet with Mr. Soehnlen to get his ideas on how best to broach the proposition of a dairy foods chair at Ohio State with Dairy Technology Alumni and dairy industry leaders to get their cooperation in a fund raising campaign. They met April 2, 1985 near Mansfield, Ohio. Joe Soehnlen suggested that key people in the dairy industry and allied firms be invited to a meeting at the University to hear an explanation of the significance and cost of establishing a chair and to explore the potential for industry and alumni support for an endowed chair. At this meeting he also suggested that an individual well known and respected in the dairy and related industries, such as Webb C. Jennings, President, Sun Industries, Inc. and Secretary/Treasurer Ohio Dairy Boosters Assn. be enlisted to lead the fund raising campaign. Joe Soehnlen and John Lindamood suggested names of industry leaders from dairy and supply firms to be invited. Organized by Brad Choate, an exploratory meeting was held at the Fawcett Center For Tomorrow on the Ohio State University campus August 7, 1985, with the following agenda:

Welcome - Dr. Max Lennon, Vice President Agricultural Administration

Lunch

College of Agriculture Overview - Dr. Max Lennon

Food Science and Nutrition Overview - Dr. John Lindamood

Endowed Chair for Dairy - Dr. Max Lennon

Open Discussion.

Industry leaders and alumni attending included Thomas A. Chicoine, Vice President-Dairy Mfg./Dist., Dairy Mart Midwest Division, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; R. M. "Rod" Collier, Vice President - Finance, Broughton Foods Company, Marietta, Ohio and President-Elect, Ohio Dairy Products Association (ODPA); Robert Cook, James River Corp., Paper Packaging Group, Kalamazoo, Michigan; Eugene Gerttula, Caulkins Indiantown Citrus Company, Indiantown, Florida; A. Jerry Good, Chairman and President, The Good Company, Pickerington, Ohio; Fred J. Greiner [BS '47], Executive Vice President and Secretary, Dairy and Food Industries Supply Assoc., Inc., Rockville, Maryland; Thomas W. Holzinger, Technical Director, Science and Technology Department, The Borden Company, Columbus, Ohio; Webb C. Jennings, President, Sun Industries, Cleveland, Ohio; Jim Judd, Vice President, Foods Division, Diversey/Wyandotte Corp., Wyandotte, Michigan; Ed Kerr, Vice President - Operations, Fisher Cheese Company Division, AMFAC, Wapakoneta, Ohio; Robert J. "Bob" Kosman [BS '65], Vice President - Operations, Dairy Foods Group, Manufacturing Division, The Kroger Company, Cincinnati, Ohio; E. A. McNulty, Liquid Packaging Division, International Paper Company, New York, New York; Rollin S. Reiter, President, Reiter Foods, Inc., Akron, Ohio; Dale A. Seiberling [BS '50, MS '51], Principal, Seiberling Associates, Inc., Roscoe, Illinois; Joseph A. Soehnlen, President, Superior Dairy, Inc., Canton, Ohio; William Thorkelson, DairyPak Division, Champion International Corp., Stamford, Connecticut; Robert Utsman, Allied Chemical, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and R. H. Vroman, President, Vroman Foods, Inc., Toledo, Ohio. The consensus of the group was that a fund raising campaign for an endowed chair in Dairy Food should be undertaken.

Following this meeting, Brad Choate began recruiting task force members and in a letter dated September 30, 1985 to Joe Soehnlen reported that "so far we have received six responses to our letter soliciting membership for the committee to raise $1.25 million for a chair in dairy. All six were positive and were from: Dale Seiberling - Seiberling Associates, Inc., Don Buckley - ODPA, Robert Adamick - Diversey/Wyandotte, Bob Kosman - Kroger, Webb Jennings - Sun Industries, Inc., R. M. Collier - Broughton. We will probably wait for a few more responses before we move. John (Lindamood) tells me that Fred Greiner is retiring in February but said he would help us."

On October 1, 1985 Dr. James H. Martin [MS '58, PhD '63] was appointed Chairman of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and made the endowment of a dairy foods chair a major goal of his administration. The following memo to Dr. Lennon dated October 25, 1985 indicates that Dr. Martin went to work immediately to raise funds for the chair.

The two-page descriptive piece developed by Dr. Martin and the faculty follows.

The Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods at the Ohio State University will be the second such endowed chair in the United States. The University of California - Davis has recently created an endowed chair in dairy foods which is already attracting significant grant monies and has stimulated national and international recognition for that California school. An Endowed Chair in dairy foods at the Ohio State University will insure that the Department of Food Science and Nutrition continues to provide the dairy industry with the excellence in teaching, research and service it rightfully demands.

In November, 1985 Joe Soehnlen and Jim Martin arranged a meeting with Webb Jennings and at this meeting persuaded him to serve as Chairman of the Dairy Foods Chair Committee. The following excerpts from Webb Jennings' letter to potential task force members dated December 3, 1985 indicate that he began immediately to recruit committee members. "This letter concerns OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE DAIRY INDUSTRY, YOU AND ME. Please read the enclosed statement regarding an endowed chair and OSU. I have been asked to accept a chairmanship of a committee from industry to help establish this chair. We are asking you to serve as a member of this committee. We are further asking you to lend us some of your knowledge, interest and enthusiasm to get the job done. ______ ."

On December 6, 1985 Dr. Lennon wrote to the task force members on board at that time the following: "We would like to convene the dairy industry endowment task force on January 14, 1986, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Fawcett Center for Tomorrow. The Fawcett Center was the site of our last meeting. We would like to update you on our activities since our last meeting, discuss our plans to fund an Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods, and introduce you to our new chairman of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition - Dr. James Martin. Lunch will be provided, so please let us know of your plans to attend. We look forward to sharing the good progress we have made since we last met. We appreciate your time and interest." However, this meeting was postponed, as indicated by the following letter from Brad Choate to task force members dated January 6, 1986. " It has become appropriate to postpone our meeting that was scheduled for January 14th. Mr. Webb Jennings, President of Sun Industries, has agreed to lead our campaign to endow a chair in dairy foods. Mr. Jennings is putting together a committee to assist in this endeavor. In that the committee is now being formed, we thought it advisable to postpone our meeting until early spring. We feel we are making substantial progress and look forward to your continued support. We will contact you as soon as the spring meeting is scheduled."

In February, 1986 Dr. Lennon resigned as Vice-President for Agricultural Administration and Executive Dean of the College of Agriculture and was replaced, July 1, 1986, by Dr. Frederick Hutchinson. Also, Brad Choate soon moved to University Development and was later replaced by Clancy Biegler.

Early in 1986 Webb Jennings, Joe Soehnlen and Dr. Martin, meeting in Joe Soehnlen's office at Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio, organized themselves as the Steering Committee to get the Dairy Chair funded. Dr. Martin then set to work developing a brochure, pledge cards, letters, etc. for use with potential donors. The text of the brochure follows.

COVER:

DAIRY FOODS

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE

AND NUTRITION

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

INSIDE COVER:

An endowed chair is a permanently funded position for a distinguished research-scholar. In addition to the chairholder's salary, the endowment can provide funds for program needs such as scientific equipment and for technical and clerical personnel. Part of the interest from the fund is used for current needs while a portion of the annual income is added to the principal, which continues to grow in perpetuity. The minimum level of support needed to endow a permanent chair is $1.25 million.

TEXT:

THE CHAIR IN DAIRY FOODS

The dairy industry in the United States has enjoyed unprecedented success in supplying milk and milk products for the American public. The challenge currently facing the industry is to find new, healthy, and efficient ways to use the large quantities of milk which are produced.

Recent increases in milk production illustrate the challenge. In 1985, the dairy industry in the United States produced 144 billion pounds of milk products, 3 percent more than the previous record of 1983. Sales momentum continues to build. Cheese and butter sales mirror the increase in milk. Frozen desserts, low-fat cottage cheese, and yogurt sales are also up. Even so, the government purchased approximately 12 billion pounds of surplus dairy products in 1985.

American taxpayers spend more than $2 billion annually to store surplus dairy products. As a land grant institution, Ohio State has an obligation to help discover ways to use such surplus products in a healthful and profitable manner and to inform the public of its findings.

To provide more intensive research into dairy industry problems than was possibly previously, to bolster the teaching program for preparing new entrants into the dairy industry, and to furnish more information to industrialists and the general public through extension services, The Ohio State University is planning to establish an endowed faculty chair in dairy foods.

BENEFITS OF THE CHAIR

The chairholder will be an academically strong individual whose research will be beneficial to the dairy industry and who will attract top graduate students and faculty.

The dairy industry today needs research in several areas that are on the department's agenda for the coming years. Better controls are needed to protect milk products from pathogenic bacteria that contaminate them. New uses must be found for surplus whey resulting from cheese production. The surplus milk problem must be alleviated by finding new food and non-food uses for milk components.

The chairholder will be a top researcher and teacher with expertise in dairy foods and a broad perspective, who is capable of stimulating new research into the chemical, microbial and/or engineering phases of the industry. This person will be the focal point of a clearinghouse for information to solve dairy industry problems, a resource person who can put industry people in touch with the services they need from Ohio State.

The chair will enhance the department's prestige in the dairy foods area. The presence of an outstanding scholar will have a ripple effect through faculty and student ranks by attracting and retaining other outstanding teachers and top graduate students.

Ohio State's endowed chair in dairy foods will be the second one established in this country. The other is at the University of California. Having a chair in dairy foods at Ohio State will ensure that the Department of Food Science and Nutrition can continue providing the dairy industry with the excellence in teaching, research, and service it rightfully deserves.

A STRONG FOUNDATION

The Department of Food Science and Nutrition is a recognized center of excellence at the University. Originally established as the Department of Dairy Technology in 1929, its goals remain to provide first-rate education, research, and extension service for students and the industrial clientele in Ohio.

Students come here from every state in the nation and many foreign countries. The department's fine reputation is built on such teaching "firsts" as the requirement for practicum experience in processing plants, the work-study programs in local industries, and the hands-on experience of work in an on-campus dairy plant.

There is a great demand for graduates' service in industrial positions nationwide. Ohio's industrial situation illustrates the need for the type of highly-trained people the University graduates. During the past 25 years, dairy processing plants in the state have consolidated, declining from approximately 400 to around 100. Today's larger and more complex plants require more sophisticated university-prepared employees than ever before.

Researchers in the department have gained distinction nationally and internationally for work in the areas of ultra-high temperature pasteurization, flavor compounds in cheese ripening, stabilizers in ice cream, milk quality, protein interactions, and heat-resistant sporeforming microorganisms. Six of the 11 faculty members in the department specialize in dairy technology, the highest percentage in the country among similar departments.

The department's extension program is one of the best and most widely imitated in the nation. The annual Dairy and Food Industry Conference has served industrialists nationwide for more than 50 years, providing information about new processes and products, management concerns, and consumer interests. For more than 30 years, the Midwest Workshop in Milk, Food, and Environmental Sanitation has brought together dairy industrialists and food sanitarians from 10 to 15 states each year to keep everyone abreast of new regulations, procedures, and industry practices.

For the past 10 years, the department has held a biannual short course introducing new practices to dairy industry personnel, and recently the department introduced an international summer short course covering analytic methods in food chemistry and microbiology.

Publications disseminating information useful to dairy industrialists and users are in constant high demand, and department faculty respond to 500 to 800 verbal requests for information and troubleshooting per year.

UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN

The chair in dairy foods is part of an effort by the College of Agriculture to reach new heights of educational excellence. The college's effort, in turn, is part of a campaign encompassing the entire University.

In addition to the chair in dairy foods, the college is now seeking endowed funds from private sources to establish five other endowed chairs, a computer and information management and delivery system, a food industries center, and an agriculture merit scholarship program.

The University began a five-year campaign in 1985 to raise $350 million in private funds for endowment and capital projects. This is the largest campaign for private funding ever conducted by a public university.

The Ohio State University Campaign is needed because although Ohio State is a state-assisted university, it is not fully state supported. Less than a third of the University's operating budget comes from the Ohio General Assembly. Approximately one-sixth comes from student tuitions. External sources, such as payments for services, the federal government, corporations, foundations, and private donors make up the rest. Philanthropic contributions from alumni and friends give the University its margin of excellence.

This campaign will bolster the University's already-established areas of excellence by attracting and retaining outstanding faculty and by keeping the University attractive to the brightest students as well as accessible to the neediest ones.

HOW TO GIVE

When you make a gift for the endowed chair in dairy foods, your contribution will be considered a donation to The Ohio State University Campaign.

Tax-deductible gifts may be made in many forms, some outright and some deferred, some in a lump sum, and some pledged over a period of time. Cash, stock, bonds, property, bequests, trusts, and other methods of giving all benefit the University.

Full details about these methods as well as estate planning advice are available from Campaign staff.

BACK COVER:

Webb Jennings, Chairperson

Committee for the Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods

at The Ohio State University,

c/o Sun Industries

P.O. Box 16039

Cleveland, Ohio 44116

Telephone: 216-331-3600

Dr. James H. Martin, Chairperson

Department of Food Science and Nutrition

The Ohio State University

122 Vivian Hall

2120 (2121) Fyffe Road

Columbus, OH 43210-1097

Telephone: 614-292-6281

Dr. Martin, using names supplied by Donald Buckley, Executive Vice President and Secretary, ODPA, wrote approximately 25 prominent dairy processors and alumni inviting them to a meeting at the OSU Faculty Club, November 12, 1996 to discuss the endowed chair. Industry people and alumni who attended were William "Bill" Bichsel [BS '55], President, Goshen Dairy, New Philadelphia, Ohio and Treasurer, ODPA; Don Buckley; Rod M. Collier, Vice President - Finance, Broughton Foods Co., Marietta, Ohio and President-Elect, ODPA; Lester "Les" Drusendahl [BS '36], Owner, Les Drusendahl Co., Cleveland, Ohio; Eugene L. "Gene" Krajnak [BS '57], District Sales Manager, Borden, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; Dale Nafziger, President, Nafziger Ice Cream Co., Archbold, Ohio and President, ODPA; Joseph A. Soehnlen, President, Superior Dairy Co., Canton, Ohio; and Webb C. Jennings, President, Sun Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio and Secretary/Treasurer Ohio Dairy Boosters Assn. University people there included Dr. Frederick Hutchinson, Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean, College of Agriculture; Clancy Biegler, Development Officer, College of Agriculture; Mr. Biegler's assistant and Dr. Martin. Dr. Martin presented the solicitation materials he had developed to the group and they were approved at this meeting. The group decided to name the chair according to the wishes of the first person/company/association giving at least $500,000 to the campaign. It was also decided that the names of individuals, companies, associations, etc., giving $1,000 or more to the campaign would be permanently displayed on a donor recognition plaque in the Department. The group also developed a list of industry leaders and alumni who might serve on a fund raising committee. At this meeting it was announce that an initial pledge of $25,000 to the chair fund had been received from Superior Dairy, Canton, Ohio.

Webb Jennings recruited the following individuals to serve on the Ohio Dairy Foods Chair Committee: Wayne H. Babcock [BS '39], former President, Babcock Dairy Co., Toledo, Ohio; Don Buckley, Executive Vice President and Secretary, ODPA; Robert Coletti, Ramsey Laboratories, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio; Rod Collier, Vice President - Finance, Broughton Foods Co., Marietta, Ohio; Paul Crabill, General Manager, Dairy Farm Products Co., Orrville, Ohio; Robert Diener [BS '51], President, Rodem, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio; Les Drusendahl, Owner, Les Drusendahl Co., Cleveland, Ohio; Jerry Good, Chairman and President, The Good Company, Pickerington, Ohio; Don Hofius, Oakes and Burger of Ohio, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio; Kenneth Huffman [BS '53], Huffman Associates, Worthington, Ohio; Webb Jennings, President, Sun Industries Inc., Cleveland, Ohio; Lowell Kesselring [BS '39], Vice President - Production, Reiter Dairy, Inc., Akron, Ohio; Ronald "Ron" Klausing [BS '61], President, I & K Distributing Co., Delphos, Ohio; Robert J. "Bob" Kosman [BS '65], Vice President - Operations, Dairy Foods Group, Manufacturing Division, The Kroger Co.; James B. "Jim" Lindeman [BS '42], American Food Laboratories, Englewood, Ohio; Dr. James Martin, Chairman, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Ohio State University; Dale L. Nafziger, President, Nafziger Ice Cream Co., Archbold, Ohio; Norman Oxley, Sales Representative, Beck Flavors and General Biscuit Brands, Cincinnati, Ohio; Dale Seiberling [BS '50, MS '51], Principal, Seiberling Associates, Inc., Roscoe, Illinois; Joseph A. "Joe" Soehnlen, President, Superior Dairy, Inc., Canton, Ohio; Alfred V. Updegraff, Owner, Ohio Creamery Supply Co., Cleveland, Ohio; and Roger L. Vogel, General Manager, Dairy Division, Borden, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.

At the November 12, 1986 meeting Dr. Martin asked for the names of potentially large donors and Joe Soehnlen suggested Thomas L. "Tom" Parker [BS '43 Business Administration, OSU], retired Chairman of Big Drum, Inc., Columbus, Ohio. Since Tom Parker lived in central Ohio Dr. Martin agreed to contact him. In early December Dr. Martin and Webb Jennings arranged a meeting with Tom Parker at which time they discussed their plans for an endowed chair in dairy foods. Shortly before Christmas, 1986 Tom Parker called Dr. Martin to say that he would give $500,000 in stock to help fund the chair and asked that it be named in memory of his father, J. T. "Stubby" Parker.

J. T. "Stubby" Parker, long-time chief executive of Big Drum, Inc. and its predecessor companies, was a pioneer in the field of ice cream novelties. He, with his brothers, I. C. and Bruce Parker, developed the frozen drumstick and founded the Frozen Drumstick Sales Co. in Fort Worth, Texas in 1928. Mr. Parker was a dynamic personality known and respected in dairy circles throughout much of the world for his friendliness, salesmanship, and innate sense of loyalty to his family, business associates, customers and the dairy industry. Under his leadership Big Drum, Inc. became an international corporation manufacturing ice cream cones, ice cream novelty packaging materials and the equipment for manufacturing frozen Drumsticks, other frozen dairy desserts and rolled sugar cones. Mr. Parker died in 1968 at the age of 68. When making his generous contributions to the University in memory of his father Tom Parker said, "My father was well known in the dairy industry throughout the world. This chair in dairy foods at Ohio State is a way of continuing his influence in a field to which he devoted his working life."

The following "contract" defined the conditions agreed to by Tom Parker and the Department relative to the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods.

Amount Funding Endowment: $ ___________

Revised September 30, 1988

Early in 1987 the fund raising drive was widely publicized by Dr. Martin and the Chair Committee and Tom Parker's generous gift gave great impetus to their efforts. Reporting on their progress in the June, 1987 issue of the Department's publication, Food Science and Nutrition Update, Dr. Martin wrote, "I am pleased to report that we are almost halfway home with funds for the chair. Mr. Tom Parker, long-time executive officer and co-owner of Big Drum, Inc. gave an initial gift of $500,000 in memory of his father, J. T. "Stubby" Parker, for whom the chair will be named! This is an outstanding start, and funds continue to arrive. Donors of $25,000 have been Superior Dairy, Canton and Diehl, Inc., Defiance. Also, Al Updegraft of Ohio Creamery Supply has given $10,000; the Phillip B. and Cecila B. Arnold Foundation (former owners of Ohio Creamery Supply), $5,000 and John D. Drinko, manager of the Arnold Foundation, $5,000. Gifts of $1,000 have come from several alumni and friends of the Department, and the drive has only been underway since November 1986! The total amount now exceeds $600,000, and we fully expect to go over the mark by this time next year." In the December, 1987 issue he reported, "The effort to fund a Chair in Dairy Foods in the Department continues to gather support. Several businesses have given or pledged $20,000 or more. Two of these were mentioned in the June Update. Additional $20,000 plus donations have come from Ohio Dairy Products Association, Seiberling Associates, Inc.; Smith Dairy; Kroger Company, Inc.; and Liqui-Box, Inc. Gifts of $5,000 have been received from the Ohio Dairy Boosters, and from Purity Dairies of Nashville, Tennessee. Total giving or pledged over the next five years now exceeds $720,000, so we are making progress. Webb Jennings who is chairing the committee to fund the chair, and his committee members are still hard at work, and he is optimistic that the $1.25 million necessary for a chair will be obtained within the next year." In the June, 1988 issue of the Food Science and Nutrition Update it was reported that, "From a start of $500,000 provided by Mr. Tom Parker, the fund has grown to $776,000 at the time of the writing of this Update. The overall amount required by the University to fund a chair is $1.25 million, so we are moving in that direction, although to those of us involved in the fund raising, the progress seems slow. Additional donors who have contributed $5,000 or more since the last Update are as follows: Benjamin P. Forbes Company, Milk Marketing, Inc., Oberlin Farms, Inc., and Mitsugi Satow (a Japanese dairymen who graduated from the department in 1921, and rose to an executive position in a dairy processing operation in Japan). Also, several $1,000 donations have been received, plus many smaller gifts from individuals. Every gift is gratefully acknowledged, and no matter how small, will help us reach our goal of $1.25 million."

When donations to the chair fund slowed somewhat in 1988, Dr. Martin and Webb Jennings asked Jim Lindeman to undertake a fund drive effort directed to alumni of the Department which he did with distinction. The following letter dated October 25, 1988 and signed by Jim Lindeman was mailed to all alumni in late October.

All who give $1,000 or more will have their names engraved on a Bronze Plaque which will reside permanently in our Vivian Hall of Fame together with the other honored industry pioneers and benefactors who have proceeded us.

Please remember that the overall target is for EVERYONE, ALL 620 of us, to have a part in this effort. This just cannot fail to demonstrate our commitment to this cause - the benefits of which will still be passing on, long after we are unable to contribute.

We have all had over a year to anticipate and determine the degree of our individual and personal support - so please help us by returning your pledge cards NOW! Flexible payment plans over a 5-year period are indicated on the enclosed Pledge Card.

May God add his blessings in this worthy effort.

Jim Lindeman

Class of '42

cc: Mr. Webb Jennings

Dr. James H. Martin

Enclosure: Brochure

Pledge Card

Return Envelope

Jim Lindeman's exemplary efforts with the alumni produced over $150,000 in donations and pledges for the Chair fund.

In a report on the Parker Chair in the December, 1988 issue of the Food Science and Nutrition Update Dr. Martin wrote, "For a total need of $1.25 million, we have just passed the $900,000 mark, and checks and pledges are coming in almost daily. Gifts of $25,000 or more since the last Update came from Donald Hart (BS '43) and Robert Ramseyer (BS '60) of Holmes Cheese Company and $100,000 from Mid-East United Dairy Industries Association." In a later issue of the Update, June, 1989, it was reported that large gifts had been received from Brewster Dairy ($100,000), in honor of Hons Leeman, founder of the company; Walter "Keb" Leeman, General Manager and Co-Owner of Brewster Dairy ($50,000); Dale Nafziger, Owner, Nafziger Ice Cream Company ($10,000) and Robert Wise, partner of Mr. Parker in Big Drum ($10,000). Dr. Martin stated that, "At present, we have $1,104,000 either in cash or in pledges toward a goal of $1.25 million which is required to establish a chair at OSU. We will be working hard this Summer to secure the remaining $150,000 before the new Department is formed October 1, 1989. [The Department was reorganized and renamed the Department of Food Science and Technology October 1, 1989].

Following is an example of letters sent to several prospective donors in May, 1989 by Dr. Martin.

This is a follow up, Richard [Richard Fowlkes, Borden, Inc.] -

to our telephone conversation concerning the Dairy Foods Chair at the Ohio State University. I will try to bring you up to date on our reasoning for attempting to fund such a position.

At one time, OSU had one of the top Dairy Technology departments in the country. Many of our former students are Borden employees and I am sure would say that their formal education was outstanding. However, during the past twenty years, most university departments have moved away from dairy technology, and have emphasized the basic sciences. This is good to a certain extent, but in many cases, and OSU is included, the trend was so far away from dairy foods that very little emphasis was given to course work or research involving dairy foods.

I left Ohio State in 1965, having earned the MS and PhD degrees here. At that time there was a dairy processing plant which operated daily and served the campus as well as a retail outlet on campus. Dairy processing equipment was available at almost a moment's notice when a faculty member needed to teach a technique or perform an experiment with dairy products. When I returned as Department Chairman in 1985, this had all changed dramatically. The pilot plant does not operate daily, in fact only when someone wants to do an experiment or teach a laboratory class is the equipment utilized. There was no way to cool milk below room temperature and no way to freeze ice cream except in a small soft serve freezer. My first purchases were a sweet water system and a continuous ice cream freezer, and soon after we were able to secure a $22,000 research grant to work on ice cream quality.

In 1985, no one in the department had a research project dealing with dairy products. The first one was the ice cream project mentioned above. In early 1986, we attempted to get one of the national dairy research centers which have been funded in various locations across the country by the National Dairy Board, but the reviewers insisted that the centers be located where dairy technology is currently being emphasized, and Ohio State was not one of the places chosen. Our proposal was given good reviews for quality and relevance, but the lack of dairy emphasis at the time played a major part in our lack of success in getting one of the centers.

Being a dairyman at heart, and having earned my living in the dairy industry for 30 years, I did not want to see the dairy emphasis completely removed from Ohio State. As long as I am department chairman, that will not happen, but it has happened at too many universities when the administration has been from other disciplines and dairy was relegated to a minor component or practically eliminated altogether.

With this as background, and with concern that a change in administration might completely deemphasize dairy foods at the Ohio State University, I decided to try to secure funds for a faculty chair position - which would be totally funded by the interest from a large endowment of $1.25 Million. In 1985, OSU's president initiated a $350 Million campaign to raise endowment funds for the university, and each department was encouraged to get involved in any way they wished. Some chose to try to fund scholarships and fellowships, but I chose to try to establish a permanently funded Dairy Foods Chair so that at least one prominent faculty member would forever be emphasizing dairy foods in his/her teaching, research, and/or extension duties. We appointed an industry committee to work with us in this effort, and your former employee Roger Vogel was on the initial committee. Of course, he has now retired and as far as I know no one has been suggested as his replacement. That may need attention as soon as you get your new job under control and have some time to discuss it with me.

To date we have secured either cash or pledges over a five year period of $1,104,000 from a total needed of $1,250,000 to fund a chair position. Most of the dairies in Ohio (both large and small) have contributed to the fund. Some have given large amounts, others at a more moderate rate, but all in all, I have been tremendously impressed with the support we have received from the dairy foods industry in Ohio. The committee agreed early on that if a company or individual give $20,000 or more a nice plaque would be provided at an industry meeting where publicity would be the greatest. That has usually been done at our Dairy and Food Industry Conference, or at the annual meeting of the Ohio Dairy Products Association. Writeups and pictures in local papers have followed, and the donors have apparently been well pleased with the publicity that has accompanied their donation. Also, the committee agreed that every person, plant, or organization contributing $1,000 or more would get their name on a bronze plaque to be permanently displayed in the foyer of the Food Science Building.

Enough about the background and procedures. I just wanted to bring you up to date so you would understand our motives for wanting this position funded. I really believe that the person in this position will be very valuable to the dairy food industry in this state for many years to come, and without the position, I am truly concerned that dairy foods will be essentially missing from departmental emphasis as years go by.

I have enclosed the brochure I prepared in early 1986 explaining a bit more about the chair and why it was needed at the time. I believe it is even more critical today that it be funded considering some of the administrative decisions that have taken place since 1986 in the College of Agriculture. Also, I am including a pledge card. Please note that the donation can be given up front in cash or pledged over a period of five years, whichever the donor chooses. We have been promised that whenever the total of $1.25 Million has been received, either in cash or pledges, that we can proceed to fill the chair with the best person available. I would like to secure the remaining $150,000 this summer so we can begin a search for the right person no later than this fall.

Anything you can do from Borden will certainly be appreciated and we will try to get as much recognition for Borden as we possibly can with all the university resources available to us. Thank you for reading this long epistle, and if you have additional questions, please feel free to call me or Webb Jennings, who is co-chair of the committee to fund the chair. His phone number and address are on the back of the brochure.

Welcome to Ohio! It is a great place to live and work. Please remember that you are welcome to call us at any time if anyone in the department can be of assistance to you. I shall look forward to hearing from you concerning the funding of the Dairy Foods Chair.

James H. Martin

Professor and Chairman

Food Science and Nutrition Department

In a report to Tom Parker in late September, 1989 on the Committee's Chair funding efforts Dr. Martin indicated that they were within $125,000 of their goal. Tom Parker very generously made an additional contribution of $125,000 which increased his total donation to the Chair fund to well over $650,000. At this time he reiterated his desire to have his father honored in this manner because of his lifelong affiliation with the dairy industry in Ohio and around the world. As of September 29, 1989 the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods at The Ohio State University was fully funded with cash, stock and pledges.

Contributions to the Parker Chair were in the form of stocks, cash and pledges of one to five years duration. Tom Parker's initial gift of $500,000 was in the form of a unitrust established with The Ohio State University Foundation. This was a 6% unitrust, with the interest payments going to Tom Parker for his lifetime and then to his daughter, Pamela Gartin, for her lifetime, if she survived him. At the outset, Dr. Frederick Hutchinson assured Dr. Martin that this would be no problem and when the committee raised $1,000,000 in cash and pledges he would provide money from college funds to begin a search for a Parker Chair Professor. The committee had used this information as an inducement when talking with potential donors. About a year into the drive Dr. Hutchinson withdrew his promise and said the committee must raise $1,000,000 in cash before the position could be filled. This placed the committee in an awkward position with the donors. Dr. Martin advised Tom Parker of their situation and later, in a meeting at Scioto Country Club, Tom Parker and his daughter indicated they would relinquish their rights to interest from the unitrust provided Dr. Martin was appointed the first Parker Chair Professor. Dr. Martin was shocked and pleased but indicated that he did not believe the University would accept the funds with that stipulation. When the Development Fund people confirmed this Tom Parker and Pamela Gartin very generously gave up their rights to the interest from the unitrust so that the Parker Chair could be established without delay. Dr. Martin and the committee had insisted on and received the following commitment in writing, dated May 5, 1989, from Dr. Frederick Hutchinson.

Dear Jim: This is to confirm that when the Dairy Foods Chair funding has reached $1,000,000, I will provide a base salary to fill the position. This is with the understanding that we will then renew our efforts to raise the additional $250,000 to complete the endowment. I feel certain the contribution to be made by an outstanding person recruited to this Chair is critically important to the future of the dairy industry in Ohio. Sincerely, Frederick E. Hutchinson, Vice President for Agricultural Administration.

Shortly after this, Dr. Hutchinson was appointed Provost and was replaced by Dr. J. Robert Warmbrod, Acting Vice President for Agricultural Administration.

In a letter dated November 20, 1989 to the Dairy Foods Chair Committee members Webb Jennings wrote the following:

On November 12, 1985, I was asked to head a committee to raise $1,250,000 for the purpose of establishing an Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods at Ohio State University. I accepted this challenge. Soon after this you accepted an appointment to serve on this committee.

On October 15, 1989, we reached our goal. The University is now in process of formally establishing the Chair in the name of J. T. "Stubby" Parker, whose life's work was in the dairy industry. A substantial contribution from Thomas L. Parker, and his daughter Pamela, set the stage for us to make our goal a reality.

None of this, however, could have taken place without you and other members of our committee working so diligently to obtain our goal.

As the Chairperson, I sincerely thank you for your efforts to help us establish this fund. The Chair will be a tremendous benefit to the Dairy Technology section of the Food Science and Technology Department. In addition, it will directly benefit students, researchers, processors and the entire dairy industry.

We are continuing our efforts to further increase the fund in order to support supplies and equipment which will be needed by the person chosen for the Chair.

Webb C. Jennings

Chairperson

The following letter dated November 30, 1989 was sent by Webb Jennings to nine dairy and related firms in Ohio.

"You are probably aware of the fact that a committee has been working diligently for the past three years to raise funds to establish a Chair in Dairy Technology at Ohio State University. There is only one other such Chair in the United States. Our hope has been that our efforts to fund a Chair Professor would include significant contributions from all the dairies in Ohio, and to date, most of the dairy companies and suppliers in Ohio have pledged to support the Chair financially. It is my thought that you, as a leader in our industry, would not like to be one of the few not participating.

As of November 1, 1989, we have secured either cash or pledges over a five year period of $1,284,000. The minimum needed was $1,250,000 - the income of which is sufficient to provide the salary for a Chair position. So....we have accumulated enough already to fund the salary for the position, however, we now need to secure funding to provide technical support, supplies and equipment which will be needed by the person chosen for the Chair.

For your information, I have enclosed a folder which pretty much explains the benefits of having this Chair established. I have also enclosed a pledge card which indicates that any pledge you make might be paid over a five-year period.

I will be glad to discuss this further with you, but frankly I believe you would like to be involved with such a worthwhile cause inasmuch as you have spent a lifetime in this industry. It is likely that you and your organization will be a direct beneficiary of this program. R&D facilities will be available for your use and highly qualified technical personnel will be attainable for employment in our industry.

The committee agreed early on that if a company or individual gave $20,000 or more, a nice plaque would be provided at an industry meeting where publicity would be the greatest. That has been done at the Dairy and Food Industry Conference, or at the annual meeting of the Ohio Dairy Products Association. Also, the committee agreed that every person, plant or organization contributing $1,000 or more would get their name on a bronze plaque to be permanently displayed in the foyer of the Food Science Building.

Please join others in Ohio who have made a substantial contribution for this worthwhile cause.

Sincerely,

THE ENDOWED CHAIR IN DAIRY FOODS

Webb C. Jennings

Chairman

On February 2, 1990 the OSU Board of Trustees officially established the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods.

During the campaign for the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods some 21 people gave generously of their time, talents and energy in a superb effort to endow the Chair. Committee member who deserve special recognition for their distinguished service are the three steering committee members, Webb C. Jennings, Dr. James H. Martin and Joseph A. Soehnlen, and "Les" Drusendahl and James B. "Jim" Lindeman. In less than three years more than $1,300,000 in cash, stocks and pledges was raised to endow the Chair, "a remarkable achievement indeed, and a lasting tribute to the generosity of the people who represent the dairy industry in Ohio, and to the hard work of the fund raisers who contributed their valuable time and efforts to make this endeavor a success."

Over 105 individuals and companies gave $1,000 or more to the campaign and are listed on the donor recognition plaque on permanent display in the Department of Food Science and Technology.

Following is a sample copy of the letter sent to every donor, large or small, by Dr. Martin at the time of the donation.

Webb Jennings wrote the following letter dated July 13, 1990 to Dr. J. Robert Warmbrod, Acting Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean.

The focal point of our meeting, of course, was the appointment of a person to fill the Chair in Dairy Foods. Joe Soehnlen and I, along with many of our industry leaders, have had many discussions on this matter.

Because of his involvement at O.S.U., and with people in our industry, plus the fact he demonstrated tireless efforts in raising funds to establish the Chair in Dairy Foods; we strongly urge that you consider Dr. James Martin, to fill this Chair for a period of one to five years depending upon his situation and that of the University.

Our endorsement is also based on our feeling that Dr. Martin will build a solid curriculum in connection with the Chair. We are convinced that this will be mutually beneficial to the students, the University and to the industry.

Sincerely,

Webb C. Jennings

The following letter dated October 2, 1990 and signed by Dr. Robert Warmbrod advised Tom Parker of the appointment of Dr. James H. Martin as the first J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair Professor in Dairy Foods.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James H. Martin as the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Chair in Dairy Foods Fund Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology. Dr. Martin's appointment is for the period October 1, 1990 through December 31, 1991. I am pleased that Jim's competency as a faculty member and his diligent and successful efforts in raising funds to establish the endowed chair can be recognized through this special appointment.

Total pledges exceed the $1.25 million required to establish the endowed chair. Currently, the total cash in the fund is slightly over $1,000,000. On February 2, 1990 the OSU Board of Trustees established the J. T. "Stubby" parker Chair in Dairy Foods Fund. The resolution of the Board establishing the Stubby Parker Chair Fund stipulated that the "annual income shall be reinvested in the fund's principal until the fund reaches $1,250,000." The consequence of this stipulation is that until the total cash in the fund reaches $1.25 million, the annual income from the fund is not available to support an appointment to the endowed chair position. Until that level is reached, I will use College of Agriculture funds to support Jim Martin's appointment to the special Professor position as well as provide some of the additional expenses associated with the position. When the total cash in the fund reaches the required $1.25 million, we will initiate the process of filling on a continuing basis the J. T. "Stubby" Parker Endowed Chair in Dairy Foods.

Your support and interest in dairy foods in the Department of Food Science and Technology is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

J. Robert Warmbrod

Acting Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean

Compiled by:

John Lindamood

Professor Emeritus

Department of Food Science and Technology

The Ohio State University