STILLWATER, Okla. – Supporting the New Frontiers campaign to build a new home for Oklahoma State University Agriculture was an easy choice for Clement and Miriam Ward of Stillwater.
Clem Ward said he hopes their contribution as major gift donors will help advance OSU Agriculture’s land-grant mission.
“Land-grant universities are directly responsible through teaching, research and Extension of constantly moving food production forward for the betterment of producers and consumers,” he said. “I spent 31 years, most of my professional career, in agricultural economics and Ag Hall. OSU Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Economics were very good to me, so this is a way to benefit others.”
The new Agricultural Hall will help progress the landgrant mission at OSU by equipping students, faculty and staff with cutting-edge research facilities to continue their research efforts while attracting scientific leaders.
The couple is naming an OSU Department of Agricultural Economics faculty office in the new building in recognition of Clem Ward’s contributions to the university and for the late Leo Blakley’s efforts in recruiting him to OSU.
Blakley graduated with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from OSU in agricultural economics and served the department as a faculty member for 38 years.
Ward credits his time at OSU to Blakley, who advocated for him to fill an agricultural economics department position in 1978. He and Blakley first crossed paths at a conference where Ward had been selected to present a research paper.
“Leo heard me present the paper and picked up a copy,” Ward said. “I was told when he returned to Stillwater, he took the paper to Jim Osborn, then agricultural economics department head, laid it on his desk and said, ‘This is someone we should consider for the vacant livestock marketing position.’” Ward applied for the position and began teaching at OSU in 1978. Ward and Blakley worked together in the department for 7 years.
“As a colleague, Leo was quiet, thoughtful, always professional, highly respected by peers and a wise mentor and model to me and other younger faculty,” Ward said.
Ward had a successful career at OSU as an agricultural economics professor and Extension economist before retiring in 2009. He conducted research in livestock marketing, specifically meatpacking and cattle and hog feeding industries.
Ward and three OSU colleagues developed the Fed Cattle Market Simulator, quickly dubbed the Packer- Feeder Game by students. The team of developers conducted more than 120 workshops in the U.S. and Canada with livestock producers, agribusiness firms and university educators.
Ward is also a well-known author, having published 60 journal articles, a book, more than 150 Extension publications, and over 50 experiment station research bulletins and reports.
“Clem has been an exceptional mentor and example to me throughout my career, and it is wonderful to see him continue to give back and invest in OSU Agriculture by honoring another exceptional agricultural economist,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture.
The New Frontiers campaign was launched in January 2020 to build a new state-of-the-art facility for OSU Agriculture. The new Agricultural Hall, expected to open in fall 2024, further advances teaching, research and Extension efforts critical to the state’s economy, citizens’ safety and quality of life. By advancing OSU Agriculture and its programs, New Frontiers fosters innovation to help feed the world.
