Ben Rainbolt Jr., (B.S., vocational agriculture, ’81; M.Ed., vocational education, ’89), was recognized last week as the 2022 College of Agricultural Sciences Honor Alumnus Award recipient. Every year the Colorado State University Alumni Association celebrates our distinguished alumni. The Distinguished Alumni Awards program recognizes CSU alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally, brought honor to the University, and have made significant contributions of time and/or philanthropy to the University and their community. Rainbolt Jr. represents the very best of the values we hold dear – extraordinary achievement, selfless public service, and a lifelong commitment to Ram pride.
Education and Community Service
Ben Rainbolt Jr. was born and raised on a farm near Burlington, Colorado. He attended Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, where he was an agriculture education major and met his future wife, Pam Yearous (B.S., ’83). After graduation, he enrolled at CSU where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and his secondary principal license. Weld County has been the beneficiary of this distinguished career in education and community service. He has taught throughout the school district but invested much of his career at Valley High School in Gilcrest, where he most notably served as principal and significantly improved graduation rates. Ben has served on CSU’s Ag Ed Advisory Committee and the Ag Ed selection committee, as well as taught a course and guest-lectured in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Ben also served on many boards and foundations and received numerous awards, including Outstanding Teacher of Region II and Vo-Ag Teacher of the Year. After retiring in 2007, he accepted a position with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and in 2010, he was named the executive director. He is also the current president of the school board for Weld County School District RE-1.
Past Recipients:
Since the award began in 1938, 105 College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni have been recognized as Distinguished Alumni.
1938: Edward H. Divelbiss (’14)
1939: Charles N. Shepardson (’17)
1940: Ralph R. Robinson (’17)
1941: Harry L. Dotson (’21, ’33)
1945: Ervin A. Hinds (’23)
1947: Charles A. Bresnahan (’21)
1947: Edward J. Idding (’07)
1950: Duane F. Hartshorn (’21)
1950: Enos Hotchkiss
1952: Fred C. Bishopp (’02)
1953: Alexander G. Hutton
1954: Charles R. Jones (’16)
1954: Arthur C. Shelly
1955: Natt N. Dodge (’24)
1956: Phillip Dale K. Younge
1958: Herman Fauber (’16, ’29)
1958: Warren H. Leonard (’26)
1958: Aylmer L. Montgomery (’27)
1959: Joseph R. French (Parent)
1959: George S. McCalve (’23)
1960: Horace H. Jurgens (’24)
1960: Llewelyn V. Toyne (’83)
1962: Earl B. McCall (’26)
1962: Thomas R. Merril (’22)
1962: Warren H. Monfort
1962: Carlyle N. Vickers (’34)
1963: Edward Graves (’60)
1963: Raymond M. McMillin
1963: Raymond H. Miller (’19)
1963: Herman Sandhouse (’15)
1965: Sam C. Campbell (’35)
1965: Paul F. Sweitzer (’20)
1965: Bruce J. Thornton (’18, ’27)
1967: James L. Henry (’40)
1968: Chester G. Cruikshank (’36)
1968: Jasper J. French (’39)
1968: David G. Rice Jr. (’39)
1970: Jack N. French (’38)
1970: Perry J. Blach (’40)
1970: Louis G. Davis (’29, ’30)
1970: James P. Hartman (’37)
1971: Paul F. Starbuck (’37)
1972: Walter T. Federer (’39)
1973: Kenneth Monfort
1973: William H. Schwabe (’47)
1973: Gordon C. Winn (’38)
1974: Cecil E. Hellbusch (’30)
1974: Milton H. Nelson (’38)
1974: John V. Ostermiller
1975: John C. Clevenger (B.S. ’36, M.Ed. ’48)
1975: David F. Schlothauer (’40)
1976: Andrew H. Blase (’39)
1976: William B. O’Donnell (’26)
1976: William G. Stewart (’43)
1977: Forrest R. Bassford (’29)
1979: Alfred T. Speiser (B.S. ’26, M.Ed. ’41)
1979: Sherman S. Wheeler (’24)
1981: George L. James (’25, ’28)
1981: Elmer J. Johnson (’26, ’30)
1981: William B. Tavener (’55)
1982: Glen R. Anderson (’50)
1982: Merlyn E. Carlson (’57)
1982: John R. Little (’28, 34)
1982: Hugo Anton Stuckenschneider (’49)
1982: Charles A. Black (’37)
1983: Alvin L. Dorsey Jr. (’54)
1983: James T. Turner II (’61)
1984: William Gray
1985: Robert B. Wiley Jr. (’49)
1986: Charles W. Sylvester Jr. (B.S. ’61, M.S. ’86)
1987: Herbert Kramer (’39)
1988: William E. Gunesch (’39)
1989: Milton Workman (’50)
1990: Ralph Tex Baker
1991: Kenneth L. Gberry (’54, ’62)
1992: Hunter Follett (B.S. ’57, M.S. ’63, Ph.D. ’69)
1993: Jack Maddux (’53)
1994: John K. Matsushima (B.S. ’43, M.S. ’45)
1995: Hon. Bob Briggs (B.S. ’59, M.S. ’61)
1996: Richard Robinson
1997: Arthur L. Hecker (’72)
1998: Robert Zimbelman (’52)
1999: Donald K. Norgren (’95)
2000: Steven Tanksley (’76)
2001: Paul Ecke III (’81)
2002: Darris Cumming (’59)
2003: Alan Foutz (B.S. ’68, M.S. ’70)
2004: Randall P. Blach (’80)
2005: Thomas H. Bradbury (’58)
2006: Richard L. McConnell (B.S. ’72, M.S. ’74)
2007: Jerold Harris (’63)
2008: Bennett Raley (’79)
2009: Brian Schweitzer (’78)
2010: Robert Brown (’68)
2011: Scott Hoffman Black (B.S. ’94, M.S. ’98)
2012: Vaughn Cook (’74)
2013: Paul Skinner (’83)
2014: Clinton Pilcher (’93)
2015: Dale McCall (B.S. ’68, M.Ed. ’72, Ph.D. ’82)
2016: Stuart Ross (B.S., ’85; M.B.A., ’89)
2017: Karl Hoppess (B.S., ’60)
2018: Leann Saunders (B.S., ’92; M.Agr., ’94)
2019: Mark Swanson (B.S., ’86; M.B.A., ’04)
2021: Kristie (B.S., ’82) and Jim (B.S., ’83) Docheff
