The start of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association began with Luther Fuller, a farm products agent for the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railway Company (T.C.I.) based out of Birmingham, Alabama. T.C.I. sold metal and steel products such as wire fencing, metal gates, feed troughs, as well as basic slag to cattlemen and farmers. During World War II, cattlemen were disadvantaged by rationing of beef and other food supplies as well as price roll-backs on beef. Fuller recognized that his customers and their industry were under attack and the best way to defend them was to get them organized.
In the late 1930’s, and organization called the Alabama Livestock Growers Association (ALGA) had been formed but had become largely inactive by 1943. It was then that Fuller contacted the ALGA President U.C. Jenkins and Secretary K.G. Baker about reorganizing their organization into a “working” cattlemen’s association for the benefit of all cattlemen in Alabama.
Jenkins and Baker were keen to the idea and in a letter dated December 29, 1943, they invited the 256 cattlemen who were or had been members of the ALGA to a meeting to be held the next month in Demopolis, Alabama. Fuller sent another 76 letters to county extension agents and extension personnel for a total of 332 letters mailed. This letter called for all interested cattlemen to meet on the night of January 4th, 1944 at the Demopolis Inn to consider forming a “visible” cattlemen’s association. Many cattlemen were planning to be in Demopolis that week for the state’s premier beef cattle event, the Alabama Beef Cattle Show and Sale being held January 4, 5, and 6.
With 60 cattlemen in attendance, a consensus was reached that the ALGA would be best laid aside for the benefit of starting a new organization with a new name. State Senator R.J. (Bob) Lowe of Huntsville made the motion to organize the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association with a second from Luther Fuller and the motion passed with unanimous approval.
Those early organizers recognized the importance of naming leaders for their organization that possessed a zeal for the cattle industry and also carried a level of influence to get things done and deal successfully in the state legislature. The association’s first officers were State Senator Bruce Henderson from Wilcox County as President, State Senator Bob Lowe of Madison County as Vice President, cattleman and businessman W.P. Breen of Greene County as Treasurer, and State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Division Director Tom C. Reid of Montgomery County as Secretary. Interestingly, ACA’s first Secretary didn’t own any cattle but his position allowed him to maintain official “offices” for the association within his division at the Chamber.
In ACA’s first year, the statewide membership included only 40 members but that number was sure to rise. Over the years, strong and dedicated leaders helped ACA to grow its ranks to a high point of 18,620 members in 1974. Because ACA’s strength lies in its network of county chapters and volunteer leaders, ACA is sure to continue as a voice for cattlemen in Alabama for years to come.
Please examine the timeline below to see some highlights from ACA’s sixty plus year history
1944 Alabama Cattlemen's Association Organized from the Alabama Livestock Growers Association
1948 ACA Constitution and By-Laws Adopted; Annual dues set at $5
1950 Alabama Cattlemen's Association Becomes a Legally Incorporated Association
1951 Coliseum Completed in Montgomery as a “Showplace” for State Agricultural and Livestock Enterprises
1953 First “Eat More Beef” bumper sticker; Organization of the Alabama CowBelles Association
1955 ACA Underwrites FFA Livestock Judging Program
1958 First Issue of the Alabama Cattleman Printed; Southeastern Livestock Rodeo and Livestock Week Began
1959 Alabama Junior Cattlemen’s Association Organized
1961 Alabama CowBelles Association Starts Senior High Beef Cookoff
1962 State 10 Cent Checkoff Goes Into Effect
1963 Association Becomes Independent from the State Chamber of Commerce; E. Ham Wilson Becomes First Executive Vice President
1964 October Declared Beef Month by Governor Wallace
1965 Beef Wagon With Life Size Steer Mounted on Top Travels Alabama
1967 Governor Declares Beef the Traditional Father’s Day Dish
1970 ACA Recognized as the Largest State Cattlemen’s Association in the Nation with 12,137 Members
1972 John M. “Bubba” Trotman Elected ANCA President
1974 ACA Membership Reaches All Time High of 18,620
1976 SLE Pays for Expansion of the Cattlemen Building; Cattle Numbers Peak at 2.7 Million
1978 “Stocker 700” Program Launched Working With Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
1980 First Annual Young Cattlemen’s Conference
1982 Auburn University Bull Test Sells Record Setting $320,000 Bull
1984 Dr. Billy Powell Becomes Second Executive Vice President
1986 Congress Passes Legislation Implementing National $1 Check-off Program
1988 Alabama CowBelles Association changes name to Alabama CattleWomen’s Association
1990 Auburn’s Lean Beef Burger Makes National Headlines
1993 50th Annual ACA Convention and Trade Show Held in Montgomery
1995 MOOseum Opens in the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association Building
1997 State Legislation Passed Establishing Cowboy Vanity Tag
1998 $52 Million Alabama Agricultural Bond Initiative Signed by the Governor; Alabama Declared Brucellosis Free by USDA
2001 Anne Payne Elected as the First Female ACA President
2003 Cattlemen Vote to Re-Instate the State Beef Checkoff Program
2008 50th Year of The Alabama Cattleman
2011 Cattlemen Voted to Increase the State Beef Checkoff Program to $1
E. Ham Wilson 1952-1985
Dr. William E. Powell, III 1985-Present
| J. Bruce Henderson | 1944-1945 |
| R.J. Lowe | 1946 |
| W.P. Breen | 1947-1948 |
| William Howard Smith | 1949 |
| O.J. Henley | 1950 |
| J. Ernest Lambert | 1951 |
| Mack Maples | 1952 |
| Preston Clayton | 1953 |
| M.C. Stallworth, Jr. | 1954 |
| T. Whit Athey, Jr. | 1955 |
| Carl Thomas | 1956 |
| Mortimer H. Jordan | 1957 |
| J.L. Adams | 1958 |
| Arthur Tonsmeire, Jr. | 1959 |
| Edward Wadsworth | 1960 |
| J.E. Horton, Jr. | 1961 |
| Richard Arrington | 1962 |
| E.R. Howard | 1963 |
| Seldon Sheffield | 1964 |
| Richard Beard, Sr. | 1965 |
| John M. Trotman | 1966 |
| Dr. A.C. Newman, Jr. | 1967 |
| G.W. (Billy) Robertson | 1968 |
| W. Comer Sims | 1969 |
| Cecil Lane | 1970 |
| Harold Johnson | 1971 |
| Henry B. Gray, III | 1972 |
| W.M. (Bill) Brown | 1973 |
| Forrest Killough | 1974 |
| K. Stanley Drake | 1975 |
| Raymond B. Jones | 1976 |
| Harold Pate | 1977 |
| W.R. Lanier | 1978 |
| Milton Wendland | 1979 |
| Julio Corte, Jr. | 1980 |
| Joe R. Crawford | 1981 |
| Dr. Billy Powell | 1982 |
| Dr. George Killian | 1983 |
| James E. Hart, Jr. | 1984 |
| Dr. George C. Smith | 1985 |
| Steve Tondera | 1986 |
| Ronnie Holladay | 1987 |
| Buck Compton | 1988 |
| Billy Maples | 1989 |
| Bill Johnson | 1990 |
| Glynn Debter | 1991 |
| Ned Ellis | 1992 |
| Ronny Donaldson | 1993 |
| Phil Hardee | 1994 |
| Tim Coe | 1995 |
| LD Fitzpatrick | 1996 |
| Bob Helms | 1997 |
| Gregg Blythe | 1998 |
| Wendell Gibbs | 1999 |
| Wayne Thames | 2000 |
| Anne Payne | 2001 |
| Jeff Donaldson | 2002 |
| Dr. J. Lee Alley | 2003 |
| Bill Pope | 2004 |
| Perry Debter | 2005 |
| Eric Smith | 2006 |
| Max Bozeman | 2007 |
| Orland Britnell | 2008 |
| Steve McDonald | 2009 |
| Mike Dee | 2010 |
| Leo Hollinger |
2011 |
| Donna Jo Curtis | 2012 |