Dr. Good's leadership and commitment to agriculture was instrumental in helping move livestock and meat production into the modern era.
1921-2012 | Artist: Thomas W. (“Tom”) Orlando (born 1931)
Impact & Accomplishments
Don Good made a controversial but extremely influential decision in the show ring at the 1969 International Live Stock Exposition: he selected the first crossbred as grand champion market steer.
This decision led to a shift toward larger performance-type cattle, impacting the future of the cattle industry. Dr. Good was also credited with pioneering the idea of correlating carcass characteristics to live animal evaluation in the ring.
Raised on an Ohio farm, Good earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State, his master’s degree from Kansas State, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (1956). He joined the faculty of Kansas State University in 1947, heading the Department of Animal Science from 1966 to 1987.
Following a 1966 tornado that heavily damaged the agricultural buildings, Dr. Good established the Livestock and Meat Industry Council to raise additional funds for the department’s needs. The American Society of Animal Science honored him with three major awards: Distinguished Teacher (1973), Honorary Fellow (1978), and Animal Industry Service (1982). Dr. Good received the Livestock Publications Council’s Headliner Award in 1997.
Did You Know?
Good entered The Ohio State University in 1939 where he was a member of varsity squads in both wrestling and baseball. His college career was interrupted in 1942 when he was called to duty in World War II, and he served in both the European and Pacific theaters.
Jack Riley, who succeeded Good as Head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Kansas State, said many in the industry "believed the time had come for a crossbred to be selected as a Champion market steer. (Good's) 1969 selection was extremely significant to the industry."
"Dr. Good knew there would be backlash, and it took a lot of courage for him to pick that steer," Riley said. "But Dr. Good was progressive enough and had the respect (of the industry and breeders) that he pulled it off."
The 1969 International was a pivotal one for the beef industry, when Dr. Don Good of Kansas State University selected "Conoco," a Charolais-Angus crossbred steer, as Grand Champion of the show - the first crossbred winner of a major show in modern times. He weighed 1250 lbs, quality graded Choice and yield graded 2. He has withstood the test of time and would still be outstanding today. - HISTORICAL REVIEW OF CATTLE TYPE by Harlan D. Ritchie, Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University