Chaplin native named to UK Ag college’s 2014 Hall of Distinguished Alumni
STAFF REPORT
Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 7 a.m. — A Chaplin native was one of 13 individuals honored recently by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment as a member of its 2014 Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
HERBERT OCKERMAN
Herbert Ockerman was born in Chaplin in 1932 and original attended UK to play football under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1950. An injury interrupted Ockerman’s football career and changed the focus of his studies.
Ockerman went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science in the UK College of Agriculture and his doctorate from North Carolina State University.
His professional career has been spent at Ohio State University where he continues to teach today. His alumni, scattered across every continent except Antarctica, include secretaries of agriculture, university presidents, deans, department chairs and directors of research institutes.
Ockerman introduces American students to diverse cultures through study abroad. He is also dedicated to helping international students and has been advisor to 95 graduate students from 35 counties and 86 post-doctorate and visiting scholars from 24 countries. Every Thanksgiving, Ockerman serves Thanksgiving meals to students who cannot go home; many are international students.
During a trip to Brazil, he noticed something was missing from the classrooms – books. This began a philanthropic effort that continues today – the Frances J. Ockerman International Book Endowment. The endowment is named in honor of his late wife who introduced him to the concept that the world is your classroom.
Ockerman collects and distributes books to libraries throughout the world. To date those donations have an estimated value of more than $850 million and total more than 1,500 separate shipments to more than 350 global destinations. He began visiting three bookstores a day, purchasing mostly used books and ones that would fit into a school or university library.
He cleans and packs the books in his garage — a four-hour a day labor of love. To load the cargo containers he calls on students, neighbors and anyone willing to help.
Ockerman has more than 2,000 publications to his credit and consults in such far-away places as India, Poland, China and Argentina. He has received multiple state, national and international awards such as the Badge of Merit for Service in Agriculture from the Polish government, Professor Award from National Chung Hsing University and Pintung Agriculture College, Republic of China; Special Recognition from Spain and Argentina; Animal Science Award in International Agriculture from France; the American Society of Animal Science international Award and UK Distinguished Alumnus.
The Hall of Distinguished Alumni award is the highest honor the college bestows.
This year’s posthumous award recipients are Charles D. Bennett, Rose Mary Brooks, Jim Corbin, H. David Hilliard, George M. Kurtz, Ira E. Massie, William A. Seay, Barbara Ellis Taylor, Henry D. White, and Patch G. Woolfolk.
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