By Julie Focht and Bob Terry

Bob Price, longtime Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Education professor and former department head, passed away Dec. 13 in Stillwater, Okla., at the age of 95. He made a positive impact on those who knew him and dedicated his life to helping others.

One of those he influenced was Bob Terry, agricultural education professor emeritus and former department head. Terry worked under the leadership of Price and said he left a legacy to the department and university. Terry wrote about Price's dedication to educating and serving others in the October 1977 issue of The Agricultural Education Magazine. These words held true throughout Price's lifetime.

Below is the story published in that magazine, which Terry wrote in Price's honor.

Some years ago, an Oklahoma State University Agricultural Education graduate student from an Arabian country told Dr. Robert R. Price that he felt he was deserving of the honored title “Old Camel.” When pressed for an explanation, the student related a proverb of his country that holds that, “A wise Old Camel can carry the load of several young asses.” The student reasoned that since the department’s other three staff members had just come aboard and were indeed young in both age and experience, the title seemed quite apt for Dr. Price. What the student really expressed was something most agricultural educators have known for a long time – that Bob Price has been an “Old Camel” carrying a big load in agricultural education for his entire professional career.

Fittingly, Robert Raymond Price was born April 17, 1910, at Oakwood, Okla., which is near a state park area designated “The Little Sahara.” He was the only son of a prominent, progressive farmer. Following graduation from high school, Bob continued as a partner in the family farming operation for a two-year period prior to beginning his college studies.

After his venture into full-time farming, Price enrolled at Oklahoma A&M College in 1930. By 1934, he had completed a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and had met the requirements for certification to teach vocational agriculture. Shortly thereafter, he and Miss Emma Ingersol of Stillwater, Okla., were married, and the new partners embarked on their professional career.

The first stop on the career journey was at Westville, Okla., for a one-year stint as vocational agriculture instructor. From 1935-37, he held the same post at Stigler. Then, from 1937-42, he taught at Paden, and finally from 1942-48, he served as vocational agriculture instructor at Hitchcock and Okeene. While in the last position, he completed his master’s degree. His high school teaching was characterized by a thorough dedication to people. His concern was not limited to high schoolers; in each of his departments, he established on-going adult and/or young farmer educational programs and was personally responsible for continually focusing on this vital aspect of a total program. He was later to be instrumental in the formation of the Oklahoma Young Farmers Association and to receive its first honorary membership.

In 1948, at the urging of J.B. Perky, then state director of vocational agriculture, Dr. Price joined the agricultural staff at Oklahoma State as an itinerant teacher trainer. One of his early assignments was to pioneer the “block” system for the department wherein student teachers could complete a specially designed group of full-semester courses during the first half of the semester prior to the student teaching experience. This system still prevails. Promotion to associate professor came in 1956, shortly after he had completed his Ed.D. at Pennsylvania State University. Two years later, he was advanced to professor and head of the department, titles he held upon his retirement June 30, 1975.

Bob Price’s contributions to the profession have been many and varied. He held membership in an impressive array of professional and honorary organizations. As a teacher educator, he was at the forefront in a number of national and regional undertakings. He was a charter member of and active in the American Association of Teacher Educators in Agriculture. He was a prime mover in the Southern Region Agricultural Education organization, having held many offices, including president. He also served a term as national president of Alpha Tau Alpha. He has provided much assistance to vocational agricultural teachers in recognition for which he received the NVATA Distinguished Service Award. It was due in large measure to his efforts that the National Agricultural Education Student Teacher Conference was instituted and continues to be held each year during the National FFA Convention. He has long been an advocate of Collegiate FFA chapters as a tool for the training of prospective vocational agriculture teachers. On many occasions, he has served as a special consultant to the National FFA organization. For such efforts he was designated an Honorary American Farmer and was honored with the FFA’s VIP award.

Under his leadership, the OSU Agricultural Education Department occupied a prominent position nationally and on his own campus. More than 1,850 individuals were qualified to teach vocational agriculture, at the rate of 60 to 85 each year, making it one of the largest such departments in the country. He directed programs of student for 320 master’s degree and 52 doctoral degree candidates. In addition, some 236 international students from 28 different countries completed advance study programs in the department during his time of service. He was an effective, valued and sought after member of many university committees. His on-campus activities included a stint on the Faculty Council.

Despite the demands of administration, he always maintained that his place was in the classroom, and an effective teacher he was. Alpha Zeta named him the College of Agriculture Teacher of the Year, and he was nominated for a university-wide honor of this type by the OSU Alumni Association and Blue Key. These honors are particularly fitting since he insisted his major accomplishment must be that of a teacher.

The United Methodist Church owes the success of many programs to the efforts and dedication of Bob Price. He has held numerous lay leadership positions locally, statewide and nationally. He served on the Board of Global Ministries, the UMCOR Division and national committee dealing with the world hunger problem.

As is evident from the above, Dr. Robert R. Price’s career has been dedicated to the profession and more importantly, characterized by the service to the individuals at all levels who make up the profession. He has indeed carried quite a load for all of us. All who have ever been associated with him recall the kindness, the respect, the dignity with which they were treated. Many have said they know of no other person who tries harder to pattern his life after that of the Master Teacher. We are all better people for his having come our way.