When the 30 members of the Class of 1962 entered the MU College of Veterinary Medicine in 1958, all were men, 21 were ex-G.I.s, most having served in the Korean War, 20 were married and many had children, and they ranged in age from 21-38.
“We were probably a little bit of a different demographic group than the current classes,” noted Hal Jenkins, DVM, a member of the class.
Jenkins was honored Sept. 20 as the CVM’s 2019 Alumnus of the Year during the college’s Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Jenkins noted that during their professional careers, eight members of his class had been elected as president of their states’ veterinary medical associations, and two had led the Western Veterinary Conference and shepherded the organization’s growth to become the largest veterinary conference in the world. He credited the college’s faculty for instilling in himself and his classmates a respect for organized veterinary medicine.
“I’m so proud to have been a member of the 1962 class,” Jenkins said during the reunion weekend awards banquet.
CVM Dean Carolyn J. Henry, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology) introduced Jenkins and read an excerpt from a letter submitted in support of his nomination for the honor.
“He has been a leader in local, state, national, international and global veterinary medicine and has represented us professionally and with dignity beyond reproach,” former CVM Associate Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs and Director of Advancement Ron Cott, DVM, wrote. “As he represented our profession, he helped move the profession forward in a proactive manner with visionary insight that few leaders can demonstrate.”
Jenkins’ leadership roles include serving as president of the Central Arizona Veterinary Medical Association in 1971, president of the Arizona VMA in 1975, Arizona delegate to the American Veterinary Medical Association from 1980 to 1988, AVMA Judicial Council from 1989 to 1995, Western Veterinary Conference Board of Directors from 1980 to 1986, and president of WVC from 1986 to 1987.
His honors include being named the Arizona Veterinarian of the Year in 1978, being inducted into the Arizona VMA Hall of Fame in 2012, and serving on the Arizona Veterinary Medical Board of Examiners for six years in the 1990s.
Among his international veterinary activities, he represented the WVC at the World Veterinary Congress in Perth, Australia, and at the British Veterinary Conference in London. He attended the British Small Animal Veterinary Conference in Yorkshire, the World Small Animal Conference in Vienna, Austria, and the Romanian Veterinary Conference. He served as a veterinary volunteer in Kyrgyzstan and Croatia.
Jenkins was born and raised in Sheridan, Missouri. He attended Mizzou from 1949 to 1953, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism. While an undergraduate, he was president of Alpha Gamma Sigma agricultural fraternity, editor of The College Farmer Magazine, business manager of the campus newspaper, was listed in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and was a member of several honor societies.
After graduation, he entered the Air Force and trained as a pilot. He also married Carolyn Vandiver and the two spent the next few years in England, where he was stationed.
At the end of his military tour, Jenkins returned to the family farm before attending veterinary school. After earning his DVM, he and his wife and two sons, Jeffrey and Terry, moved to Tempe, Arizona, where he established a solo large animal practice that he operated until 1971. He built Baseline Animal Clinic and became a small animal veterinarian until his retirement in 2011.
Alumni weekend activities also included a tailgate brunch Sept. 21, prior to the Mizzou versus South Carolina Gamecocks football game, tours of the Veterinary Health Center and photo opportunities with the CVM Mule Team. The Class of 1969 held a 50-year class reunion dinner on Sept. 21 at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center and shared memories from their years at the CVM and some of their career highlights.
More photos from the alumni reunion dinner can be found on our Facebook page.
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