First came a lot of informal reminiscing among former students and former instructors Wayne Lacy,
Jeff Grote, and current instructor Bob Young. Second came tours of the College
Farm which enjoyed its 40th birthday party.
Following a hamburger picnic came an award presentation to Mrs. Roseanneli Leverett for the work
she and her late husband, Donald B. Leverett, did in the early years of securing the College Farm. Mr. Leverett, a descendant of an early Rusk County pioneer family, simultaneously served on both the Kilgore
College and Bruce McMillan, Jr. Foundation board of trustees for over a quarter century.
The award was presented by Dr. Bill Holda, KC president, during his welcoming remarks.
More formal discussions by Lacy, Grote, Young, and an inspiring address by keynote speaker Marcus
Hill, president of Agricultural Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Co., Fort Worth, followed.
But the real excitement occurred when Hill spontaneously challenged all former students and guests
present, in an auction-like charged atmosphere, with a $1,000 challenge grant from his company to be matched for the purpose
of buying a new 32-foot trailer for the KC Livestock Show Team. The Show Team
must currently borrow trailers, sometimes in disrepair or requiring updated registration, to transport their show equipment,
student recruiting paraphernalia, and purebred Angus show animals to major shows throughout the state. The tally showed nearly $4,500 was paid or pledged, including Hill’s personal contribution and company
challenge, toward the $10,000 needed.
Bill Hale ‘69, one of the Anniversary and Reunion Committee members, referred to this magnanimous
outpouring of financial response as the “ Miracle on Rabbit Creek.”
Rabbit Creek lies only a short distance from the Classroom Building area where the event was held and runs along the
entire western boundary of the College Farm.
“Persons who had to leave the program early or those whose schedules prevented them from
attending are encouraged to participate in this important tax-deductible project for the current and future agricultural students
of Kilgore College,” he said.
Hale said persons interested in contributing can make a check payable to “TAFAS-KC” (The Association of Former Agricultural Students of Kilgore College) and mail it to
P.O. Box 555, Overton, TX 75684.
Plans are now underway, said Ken Ragle, ’66, who served as the effervescent Master of Ceremonies
during the afternoon program, to develop a support group (The Association of Former Agricultural Students of Kilgore College)
for the KC agricultural program. The organization already has its own back account
and mailing address in place, thanks to the spark provided by “The Miracle on Rabbit Creek.”
“Together, we can do many good things to benefit the present and future agriculture students
of Kilgore College,” said Ragle, a member of the first class to utilize the farm.
“Kilgore College gave us former students a great start as college students; now, in my opinion, it’s time
to give back. It will be fun to watch these students excel with better equipment,
higher quality animals, and scholarship opportunities that a former student organization can help provide over time,”
he noted.
Ragle said the next reunion of former agricultural students is tentatively planned to coincide
with Kilgore College homecoming in 2005. A TAFAS-KC business meeting, held on
campus, and a meal and some undetermined activities at the College Farm would probably comprise the agenda, he said, although
no decisions have been made at this juncture.
(Article locally published and provided by writer, Ralph Ward Jr.)
