A Life Of Service Alverson To Receive Service To Agriculture Award By Debra Davis griculture has been part of Bill A Alverson’s life since he was a young boy growing up in Marshall County. Lessons learned from his father, who was a bank agent assigned to help local farmers, and his introduction to 4-H helped mold young Alverson as he developed skills focused on helping others. Those proficiencies parlayed into a 41-year career with Auburn University (AU), first as an Extension farm agent in Lee and DeKalb counties (1965-1973) and as assistant dean of the College of Agriculture (1973-2006). Former students speak his name with reverence, saying he played a pivotal role in their college experiences and eventual careers. His contributions
4
|
NEIGHBORS
|
December 2020
earned Alverson the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Service to Agriculture Award, the highest honor given by the state’s largest farm organization. Alverson, 76, will receive the award at the Federation’s 99th annual meeting in Montgomery Dec. 6. “I am deeply honored to receive the award,” said Alverson, who lives in Auburn with his wife of 55 years, Snooky. “I never considered my work at Auburn as a job; it was just fun.” Alverson, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from AU, credits his success to the people who surrounded him — students, faculty and administrators. “I was fortunate to develop relationships with people all around the nation,” he added. Federation President Jimmy
Bill Alverson earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from his beloved Auburn University before he began work as an Extension farm agent in Lee and DeKalb counties. In 1973, he was named assistant dean of the College of Agriculture, a position he kept until his retirement in 2006. He and wife Snooky have been married 55 years and live in Auburn.
Parnell joins a legion of AU College of Agriculture graduates who credit Alverson for inspiring them to develop leadership skills. “Hundreds of Auburn agriculture alumni can trace their careers back to Dean Alverson,” said Parnell, who graduated from AU with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics in 1985. “He showed genuine concern for students, from recruitment to job placement. His alfafarmers.org
