Oklahoma Farm Bureau honored two well-known agricultural leaders with Distinguished Service Awards during its 63rd annual meeting Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City.
The pair of awards is designed to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and to Oklahoma Farm Bureau, according to Matt Wilson, executive director.
Stillwater’s Dr. Robert Totusek and Mangum’s Jack Givens were honored in ceremonies before the convention body.
Totusek was presented with the Distinguished Service to Oklahoma Agriculture Award while Givens received the Distinguished Service to Oklahoma Farm Bureau Award.
The 77-year-old Totusek has been involved in agriculture for more than half a century and is a recognized leader in Oklahoma and across the United States.
He was a member of the faculty in the Animal Science Department at Oklahoma A&M College and Oklahoma State University from 1952 through 1990, where he taught 14 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as off-campus Extension courses in beef education.
Totusek also was the coach of the university’s livestock judging team from 1953 through 1961, leading the team to 10 national and international contest titles.
He headed the Animal Science Department from 1976 through 1990.
During his tenure, 30 new faculty positions were added, a new animal science building and arena were constructed and groundwork was laid for a new beef cattle research center and swine teaching and research center. Funding for research almost doubled under his leadership.
Totusek is acknowledged as one of the nation’s most outstanding beef cattle judges, where he was a trendsetter for the industry.
Through his judging, he made an effort to emphasize the need to move from fatter, slow-growing cattle to growthier cattle with a higher lean to fat ratio.
He served as advisor to the American Hereford Association, American Angus Association and American Polled Hereford Association.
Totusek was named as the outstanding teacher at OSU on two occasions. BEEF Magazine named him to its BEEF Top 40, recognizing Totusek as a top contributor to building the nation’s beef industry. He also was inducted into the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery at the North American International Livestock Exposition. Inclusion in the gallery is considered to be the highest honor awarded in the livestock industry.
Givens, 82, also has devoted more than half a century to agriculture. His involvement in Farm Bureau began when his parents were OFB’s first Farm Family of the Year in 1958.
Whether serving his church, community or agriculture, the Farm Bureau philosophy always has been evident. His service to Farm Bureau spans the county, state and national levels.
Givens served on the Greer County Farm Bureau board of directors for 30 years, and during that time served 15 years as president. He has served on various committees at the county, state and national Farm Bureau levels.
He was elected to the OFB Board of Directors in 1988, serving two terms as vice president. Givens won the OFB president’s office in November 1997 and served through November 1999.
Givens maintains cotton and wheat farming interests along with a cow herd plus stockers.
He holds a Bronze star and three Purple Hearts from his service in World War II, where he was a prisoner of war.
He attended Oklahoma State University and graduated from Oregon State University following his military career.
Givens is a director of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma Art Institute and Oklahoma Cotton Growers. He sits on the board of regents for Oklahoma State University and A&M Colleges, where he has served as both chairman and vice chairman.
Givens was named a recipient of the OSU Alumni Association’s Distinguished 2004 Alumni Award Nov. 13 in ceremonies at Stillwater.
