National Dairy Shrine Honors Industry Pioneers

Hansel, Nichol, Specht, Weeks Named

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Each year, National Dairy Shrine honors three or four living or deceased “pioneers” of the dairy industry. Nominated by members of National Dairy Shrine and selected by an anonymous committee, the Pioneer Award recipients are honored at the National Dairy Shrine Banquet at World Dairy Expo, and their portraits are then displayed at the National Dairy Shrine Visitors’ Center in Fort Atkinson, Wis.

This year, the four honorees include Dr. William Hansel, whose 60-year career in research and teaching in the field of dairy cattle reproductive physiology has had enormous impact on the profitability of the dairy industry; William Nichol, whose visionary leadership created worldwide merchandising opportunities for Pennsylvania Holstein breeders; Dr. Lawrence Specht, whose research in genetic evaluation led to faster genetic improvement based on science-based genetic principles; and William Weeks, who founded and registered the Animal Analysis Associates (aAa) breeding system.

William Hansel
Over 60 years of research and teaching by Dr. William Hansel has contributed to a better understanding of reproductive function of dairy cattle, especially the timing of the estrous cycle. His pioneering research has provided much of the present knowledge about the physiology of dairy cattle reproduction and led to the development of on-farm practices that have increased the profitability of U.S. dairies.

At nearly 90 years old, Hansel currently lives in Baton Rouge, La., where he continues to hold a professorship at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. Prior to coming to LSU in 1983, Hansel spent nearly 40 years leading ground-breaking research in the field of dairy reproductive physiology at Cornell University.

Understanding the regulation and function of the corpus luteum forming on the ovary after ovulation has been a major theme of Hansel’s research career.

His discoveries have led to management recommendations regarding estrus detection, the timing of insemination in relation to estrus, and postpartum reproductive function. Hansel also led the way in the development of estrous cycle synchronization methods. He improved techniques and procedures in culturing bovine embryos that ultimately led to future advancements in biotechnology. Hansel was the recipient of numerous funds from competitive grants programs and has also been honored with many awards for his research.

William Nichol
William Nichol has been a dairy industry leader in the state of Pennsylvania and a pioneer in developing world-wide marketing opportunities for Holstein breeders. As executive director or the Pennsylvania Holstein Association (PHA) from 1959 until his retirement in 1997, Nichol grew the organization to record membership, initiated countless programs, rallied volunteer committees and is credited for creating a model organization for other state Holstein associations in the U.S. Upon retirement, the PHA honored him with the lifetime title of executive director emeritus.

Cultivating markets for Holstein cattle became his legacy. In 1971, he organized the historic shipment of 26 Pennsylvania Holstein calves to The Netherlands for a research project that resulted in worldwide acceptance of U.S. Holsteins.

In 1975, Nichol helped convince the PHA board to purchase a 125-acre farm in Middletown, Pa. to serve as a merchandising collection point for cattle. The facility eventually became the USDA Export Facility for the Eastern U.S. It has the capacity for more than 1,000 head of dairy cattle and has also housed beef cattle, swine, sheep, goats and horses for export. By 1988 the PHA had exported cattle to 50 countries, generating over $40 million for dairy producers who provided cattle to these foreign markets. Nichol also helped create merchandising opportunities domestically, initiating a number of successful public sale series across the state. Nichol and his wife, Lilly, reside in State College, Pa.

Lawrence Specht
Dr. Lawrence Specht, professor emeritus, Department of Dairy and Animal Science at Penn State University, is another 2008 Pioneer honoree from the Keystone State. He and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Boalsburg, Pa. While Specht’s council on a number of boards and committees across the Pennsylvania dairy industry has provided leadership and vision, it was his expertise in the genetic evaluation of dairy cattle that has ultimately provided the greatest benefit to dairy producers. His efforts in this area have been multiplied many times by his close working relationships with county Extension personnel, DHIA, the artificial insemination industry, and farm organizations.

Specifically, Specht provided leadership in urging A.I. units to develop and maintain large-scale progeny test plans. He also expedited the changeover of Pennsylvania DHI records programs from a hand-calculated, county-based system to centralized electronic data processing. He developed a herdmate comparison report for Pennsylvania AI-sired cattle before the herdmate comparison procedure was adopted by USDA for use in sire summary work.

Specht also convinced USDA to include records from AM/PM testing programs in calculating genetic evaluations and, likewise, to use partial records for first-lactation animals. All these things helped the industry make faster genetic progress through earlier, more reliable genetic evaluations.

Specht also developed the sire/son and herd prefix reports, which documented the success rate of sons of high-ranking sires and also the average genetic evaluation of sires carrying the same prefix.

William A. Weeks
The late William A. Weeks is honored for his accomplishments in dairy cattle evaluation and breeding. Weeks first made his mark in this area through the founding and development of the Skyway Holstein herd in Vermont. From 1938 to 1947, Weeks developed 30 Excellent cows, four Gold Medal Dams, and three Gold Medal Sires from his small herd which averaged about 13 cows at any given time. Skyway was the first herd in Vermont to be awarded the Holstein Association’s Progressive Breeder Registry award twice. After dispersing the herd, Weeks was a Holstein Association classifier for three years.

In 1950, Weeks created and launched a system of type evaluation for cows and bulls that meshed into a corrective mating program. He founded a company, Animal Analysis Associates (aAa), offering the trademarked evaluation and mating system to dairy producers and A.I. units through trained evaluators. Weeks died in 1994, but the aAa evaluation system continues today. Currently, there are 20 aAa-approved analyzers providing the service in 16 countries on three continents. The service has been embraced by large and small herds and employed by respected breeders such as Wally Lindskoog of Arlinda fame, Paclamar’s Dick Brooks, and Obie Snider of Singing Brooks Holsteins.

The Vermont Holstein Association named Weeks the Vermont Breeder of the Year in 1982, based on the worldwide success and respect of the aAa system.