"Doc E.," as he was affectionately called, dedicated his life to the extension of knowledge about animal agriculture.
1908-1998 | Artist: Thomas Embert (“Tom”) Phillips (1927-2005)
Impact & Accomplishments
Born in Stover, Missouri, Gene Ensminger received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1941. He was the first manager of the Dixon Hills Experiment Station at the University of Illinois and held teaching positions at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Minnesota, and Washington State University.
As head of the animal sciences department at WSU, Ensminger initiated a doctoral program and built the Cattle Feeding Laboratory and Hilltop Stables, one of the finest light-horse facilities in the world.
“Doc E,” in partnership with his wife, published extensively, including nearly two dozen books and hundreds of articles and bulletins. Their 1995 book, A Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition, represented one of the most significant missions of his life: world hunger and nutrition. He traveled to sixty-nine countries to conduct seminars and publish materials to strengthen local agriculture.
He founded the International Stockmen’s School and the Ensminger Ag-Tech Schools on several continents. Dr. Ensminger was the first president of the American Society of Agricultural Consultants and was the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Society of Animal Science in 1960. Honorary doctorates were conferred by the University of Ukraine in 1994 and Iowa State University in 1996.
Did You Know?
In 1996, he received the Bouffault International Animal Agriculture Award, for which the citation identified him as "one of the world's great humanitarians."
In 1983, Washington State University honored him by naming its beef center the M.E. Ensminger Beef Cattle Center.
"Mrs. and Dr. Ensminger have dedicated their lives to lessening world hunger and malnutrition. They have developed unique education and self-help programs that have resulted in a measurable improvement in world food and nutrition. Their achievements include twenty-one books, now in several languages and used all over the world, on which they waive all royalties on foreign editions in order to help the people." - American Medical Association