Name: Shook, Craig D.
Title: Fmr. Director at Driscoll Foundation
Texas A&M Class: 1975
Inducted: 2023
Biography
Craig Shook was born in Falfurrias, TX. At age seven, following the death of his father, he moved to Corpus Christi with his mother and sister. He spent his summers at his grandfather’s cotton and grain farm in Lockhart, TX. During high school and through his free time in college, he worked as a custom harvester and general farm assistant. Craig also played high school basketball until he decided to focus on raising and showing Charolais cattle. Craig was active in FFA and served as a District officer.
Craig graduated from Texas A&M University in 1975 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics. During his college days, he met the most influential people in his life. He worked part time in the Department of Agricultural Economics, where he had daily interactions with Drs. Timm, Wooten, Grady, Shafer, and Dan Snyder. While attending TAMU, Dean Potts and Dean Lard took a special interest in Craig and helped him with grants and scholarships.
Craig began working as the Director of Farm and Ranch, Oil and Gas operations for the Robert and Julia Driscoll and Robert Driscoll, Jr. Foundation of Corpus Christi in 1979. He remained in this position full time for 39 years until his retirement in 2018. During his tenure, he saw many changes and held roles on several committees and boards, including serving as President of South Texas Cotton and Grain (1989-1994). He was influential in the start of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation in Texas and served as Vice-Chairman and Director from its beginning in 1997. He was awarded the Epsilon Sigma Phi’s award for State Friend of Extension in 1993.
Craig has worked with several state and national organizations during his career. He was appointed by Commissioners Perry, Combs, and Staples to serve as the Agribusiness Representative for Texas where he was an advocate for Texas agriculture. He also served on the Board of the National Cotton Council (NCC) for 12 years and as an officer for 6 years. As a producer representative for NCC, he traveled to many areas with cotton interests, including Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Columbia, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Morocco, Egypt and Turkey. Craig served on the Cotton Board for 13 years and as President in 2011. Craig (tongue-in-cheek) to this day takes credit for the high cotton prices of that time.
As an industry stakeholder, Craig served on several search committees for key personnel at Texas A&M University. He also worked with Dr. Ray Frisbee in Cotton Entomology, Dr. Mark Hussey in Soil and Crop Sciences, and Dr. Neal Van Alfen in Plant Pathology. He served on the board of the Plant Material Center at Texas A&M-Kingsville and also actively worked toward a solution for high aflatoxin in cotton with USDA and TAMU plant pathologists.
Craig married his college sweetheart, Annette ’74, and they currently reside in Aransas Pass, Texas. They have two children, Cy and Sara, and two grandchildren, Eli and Kathryn. Craig enjoys hunting, fishing, and traveling with Annette. Craig continues to consult for the Driscoll Foundation. He spends a fair amount of time in the Texas Hill Country where he is involved with Frio Canyon Vineyard and Winery. He enjoys his orchard and peach trees.