COX, DONALD ALEXANDER

by Don Cox

Entry F95 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Donna (Osborn) Cox late 1960's

Donald A. Cox late 1960's

As Donald, the first of three children born
to A.B. (Eck) Cox and Minnie Kirk Cox, I was
born on her Kincaid in South Cherry Co. May
7, 1912. Two days later Dr. Rolland Roth
showed up and checked the new arrival. No
doubt this wasn't unusual in those days. Wm.
& Minnie Luke were the closest neighbors
and Mrs. Luke was a competent midwife.
Growing up, we children adopted Luke's for
our Grandparents. When we would get into
trouble at home, which was often, we would
hike over the hill to Luke's house where we
always found sympathy.

My education was in a one room rural
school through the eighth grade. I graduated
from Hooker Co. High in 1929. One of those
four years I stayed with Editor Walton and
worked for my board. Perhaps I learned more
there than I did at school. Then I stayed with
Luther Phipps' in Lincoln while attending
N.U. I took courses under "Bill" Darrich
(teaching without a PhD) in Animal Hus-
bandry. He was good. Agronomy was under
A.H. Gooding and Botany under the noted
Dr. Ramond Poole. The depression of the
1930's ended my college days and I have spent
the rest of my years digging out knowledge
Dr. Poole could have taught me.

Married Donna Osborn, daughter of
"Colonel" and Aunt Jenny Osborn of Cherry
Post Office in August 1935. We lived on part
of the Cox ranch, which had been home-
steaded by Van Pratt, for 13 years. Beverly
and Marvin came along in 1938 & '39. We
milked 10 to 15 cows, raised hogs, chickens,
turkeys, a big garden and farmed some (corn,
rye & oats). In 1937 I teamed up with E.P.
Steen of Thedford selling wind and engine
driven ranch light plants, wiring houses, etc.
Later I took on distributorship for a wind-
machine. My area was west of Nebr. and
Wyoming. I didn't have much luck getting
dealers and couldn't cover the area adequate-
ly.

In 1947 H.J. and I each bought half of Dad's
ranch and cows (150 apiece). By 1949 I had
added 50 more cows to them. When the '49
blizzard was over I was back to 150 head.
Shortly after this I started reviewing college
text books on Heredity by Schull and Animal
Bredding Plans by Lush. I was convinced the
compressed animals winning at the fairs were
not what the beef industry needed. We put
identification marks on each cow, used one
sire breeding pastures and started checking
each cow's production. About this time Dr.
Paul Guyer came to N.U. Between us the
Nebraska Production Testing Program was
developed. Thus we have the first P.T. herd
in Nebraska. Our 18 month weights have
averaged 4 lbs. gain per year. The program is
proven.

During this same period a rotation grazing
system was implemented. To accomplish
this, several extra miles of fence were re-
quired. Cherry Co. required 18-20 acres per
animal unit to keep one unit year-long when
we sold. For the past 20 years we have
supposed an animal unit on 10 acres year-
long. We did this while cow weights were
increasing 200 pounds and 18 month weights
by 125 pounds. During this period I helped
form the Nebraska Beef Cattle Improvement
Assoc. and helped set up the Ogallala Bull
Test.

I served 15 or so years on Cherry Co.
Extension Board and led the first 4-H club
in South Cherry Co. This was a Baby-Beef
Project which didn't fit the area but was the
closest to any offered. Robert Herrington was
agent then. Corwin Mead was the first agent
in Cherry Co. His salary came from individ-
ual donations.

Over the years I have helped with the youth
range camp held at Halsey. In the beginning
only boys were accepted. I instrumented a
change and girls were accepted. The first girl
who attended now has a PhD in Range
Management. She also adopted me as a
second father. Today girls outnumber boys at
this week-long workshop. I served as chair-
man of the Nebraska Section Society for
Range Management in 1964. Next I was
elected to a three year term on the Board of
Directors for the International Society of
Range Management, taking office in Rapid
City when the annual meeting was held there.
Four years later I was elected president of
S.R.M. I assumed office in Calgary, Alberta,
in 1969. This was the first time the annual
meeting was held outside the U.S. That year,
working with graduate students Fe Busby at
Lubbock, Texas, we started the Student
Conclave which created a nitch for college
students at the annual meeting. Also accom-
plished was starting a second publication
(non-technical) which evolved into the pres-
ent Rangeman's Journal

Retired, I now have time to generate a lot
of sawdust making spinning wheels, baby
cradles, grandmother clock cases, etc. Cou-
pling the woodworking with some weaving
and spinning keeps me occupied if not out of
trouble!

In recent years I also served two years as
chairman of Mullen Commercial Club and
several offices in the Mullen Masonic Lodge.

Awards-contributed by daughter Beverly:
1957 - Grant-Hooker S.W.C. aerial ranch
photo - first picture awarded in our area for
grazing land management.
1966 - Nebraska Section S.R.M. plaque
- in recognition for outstanding work in the
development and use of Nebraska's re-
sources.
1976 - Upper Loup N.R.D. silver plate -
in honor of conservation practices.
1977 - International Society for Range
Management Fellow Award plaque - in
recognition of his time and effort over many
years in behalf of Society objectives. Pre-
sented at Portland, Oregon.