Name: Davis, Ernest E. “Ernie”
Title: AgriLife Extension Economist, Retired
Texas A&M Class: 1971
Inducted: 2018
Ernie Davis was born in Brownwood, TX, in 1940 where he grew up on the family stock farm. He was active in 4-H, Boy Scouts, and Church Youth Fellowship, and raised and exhibited steers and lambs in major livestock shows and fairs, igniting a lifelong love of working with livestock and the livestock industry. In Boy Scouts, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the Bronze, Silver and Gold Palms. Ernie graduated from Brownwood High School in 1958, having had participated on the football and golf teams. He received his B.S. degree in Animal Husbandry from Oklahoma State University in 1962. He then worked as a “Junior Assistant County Agent in Training” in Comanche County, TX, until reporting to Fort Bliss, TX, for military service as a commissioned Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After completing his military commitment, he returned to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service as an Assistant County Agent in Jefferson County, TX. In 1967, Ernie came to Texas A&M University as the Extension Assistant in livestock marketing. While in this position, he earned his M.S. in 1971 and his Ph.D. in 1975, both in Agricultural Economics. In 1972, he became the department’s Extension Livestock Marketing Economist.
During his time in the Texas A&M University System, Ernie had appointments with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, providing him the flexibility to do more applied research to assist his county Extension programs. He received more than $1.5 million in grants and contracts to support his programs. Significant among his research accomplishments was the development in 1979 of a computerized system for marketing feeder cattle, CATTLEX. This system was operated as a demonstration for 15 months and marketed and cleared monies for more than 130,000 head of feeder cattle. CATTLEX was a feature article in nearly every farm and ranch magazine and journal and had visitors from 27 countries to see it demonstrated.
From CATTLEX, Dr. Davis’ programs spread from the state of Texas to national and international sectors, with numerous recognitions for their content and quality. He received the Extension Superior Service Award in 1983 for the work done on CATTLEX; the Extension Superior Service Award in 1987 for the Pork Profit Program; Japan’s Livestock Industry Promotion Corporation (LIPC) Visiting Professor Award in 1988; the Deputy Chancellor’s Award in Excellence in 1989; the Texas A&M Former Students Association’s Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award in 1989; the American Agricultural Economics Association’s Premier Forecaster Award in 1989-90; the Western Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Extension Programs award in 1992; the Independent Cattlemen Association’s Outstanding Leadership to Texas Livestock Industry award in 1995; the Livestock Marketing Information Center’s Distinguished Service to the U.S. Livestock Industries and Leadership to the Center award in 1995; the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Industry Support in 2000; the Texas A&M University System’s Regents Fellow Award in 2000; and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers’ Outstanding Service and Commitment to the Texas Livestock Industry award in 2004.
Even though Ernie did not have an “official” teaching appointment, he thoroughly enjoyed working with and mentoring students. He served on numerous graduate student committees, either as chair or a member, and was a frequent guest lecturer in both undergraduate and graduate classes in the Departments of Agricultural Economics and Animal Science. He was Faculty Advisor to the Agricultural Economics Agribusiness Association 1989-1993, and to the TAMU Ducks Unlimited Club 1996-1997. He was Faculty Advisor and Coach of the TAMU Rodeo Club and Team 1994-1998 and served on the board of the United Campus Ministry (UCM) as a member and chair 2001-2006. When Ernie retired from the Texas A&M University System in 2004, he and his wife Marilyn established an Endowed Scholarship dedicated for students in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. His public service has included serving as President and Zone Chairman of the College Station Morning Lions Club and serving as a Trustee for 14 years on the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation. He has also been very involved with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, becoming a member of the show in 1991 and continuing to serve today as a Lifetime Director.
Ernie ranks his church, wife and family the most important things in his life. He is a member of the Covenant Presbyterian Church, formerly the A&M Presbyterian Church. Today, Ernie and Marilyn live and manage their Red Angus – Santa Gertrudis ranch (Mulberry Hill Ranch, Inc.) at Praha, TX. They have four children ̶ Elaine, Reed, Roger, and Ryan ̶ and seven grandchildren.
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