Jan. 22, 2021
Former Extension director Rick Cartwright to be inducted in Arkansas Ag Hall of Fame
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Retired extension director will join Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame
- Date for induction ceremony to be announced later
- Cartwright noted for rice pathology work, extension leadership
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LITTLE ROCK — Dr. Rick Cartwright, retired director of the Cooperative Extension Service, will be inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame this year and honored for his leadership and service to the state's largest business sector in 2021.
He is one of six people in Class XXXIV, which represents agriculture education, the seed industry, agri-business, row-crop production, agricultural and political advocacy, timber management and agricultural research and outreach, according to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Other inductees include:
- Joe Don Greenwood of Hermitage, a longtime agriculture educator
- The late Russell Roy Reynolds, longtime director of the Crossett Experimental Forest
- Randy Veach of Manila, a former Arkansas Farm Bureau president
- Mark Waldrip of Moro, founder of Armor Seed Co.
- Andrew Wargo III of Watson, longtime farm manager of Baxter Land Co.
A date for the induction ceremony has not been set.
Cartwright, an internationally known rice pathologist, joined the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture in 1992 and served in numerous roles for both extension and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. He was appointed extension director in 2017 and retired last year.
“No one is more deserving,” extension director Bob Scott said. “When I first started with him in 2002, Rick was a mentor and when he left extension in 2020, he still was. He was just that kind of friend, co-worker and colleague. I am pleased that he was accepted to the Ag Hall of Fame.”
Last year, two longtime extension employees were inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame: Thomas Vaughns and William E. “Gene” Woodall.
Vaughns worked 20 years as a Crittenden County extension agent and 4-H leader and 14 years as a horticulture specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He is also a World War II and Korean War Veteran and a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Woodall, of Little Rock, worked 26 years as an extension agent in Pulaski, Yell and Monroe counties and later as a cotton specialist at extension’s state office in Little Rock. He also created the Cotton Research Verification Trials.
The mission of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is to build public awareness of agriculture and to formally recognize and honor individuals whose efforts have led to the prosperity of local communities and the state.
To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact:
Tracy Courage
Director, Communications Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
tcourage@uada.edu