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Litterst Receives A&M’s Highest Honor

published: March 28th 2009
by: Martha Hollida Garrett
source: Southern Livestock Standard

On February 28th Frank Litterst was attending a meeting of the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Association of Former Students when at the conclusion, it was announced that he was a recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus honor. This is the highest honor bestowed upon a TAMU former student, and he is one of only 294 Distinguished Alumnus of the association to date. The award recognizes an individual for their significant contributions to their professions, Texas A&M University and their local communities. Litterst, who was overcome with emotion, called it the greatest honor he has received and spoke of his love for the institution and his fellow Aggies.

Litterst, who is a member of the class of ’43, is known across the Lone Star state and beyond as an Aggie, teacher, rancher and friend. He has received many honors from Texas A&M and he holds senior lecturer emeritus status in the department of animal science.

Litterst was raised on a small farm between Katy and Houston. He was attending Texas A&M when World War II began and he joined the Army in 1943 and served in the Pacific as an artillery officer. After being wounded, he returned received his degree in animal husbandry.

For a number of years, he worked in the feed sales business and ranched in location Buda and Center, Texas.

In July 1965, he was employed as a beef cattle specialist in the agricultural education adult program, a cooperative program between Texas A&M and the Texas Education Agency that provided agriculturally oriented instruction. In this decade he visited 2,600 ranches and taught over 12,000 ranchers.

From 1966 until 1978, he was junior market steer superintendent at the Houston Fat Stock Show (now Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo), and from 1967 until 1975, he served as superintendent at the Junior Beef Heifer Show at the State Fair of Texas.

Litterst was instrumental in developing a scoring system for livestock used initially by the range bull and heifer committee. It is still being used to evaluate bulls and replacement heifers statewide.

He also was the driving force behind the development, use and application of the U.S. Department of Feeder Cattle Grades currently in use across the United States.

Litterst joined the animal science faculty at Texas A&M in 1975 to manage the beef cattle center. He also taught more than 6,000 students in beef cattle production and two animal science courses at the university.

His classes gave students the practical, hands-on knowledge they needed to enter the work force and were entertaining, to say the least. Beef Cattle Production 406 was known as the “Frank Litterst Show” and students never knew what he would do next to drive home a point about ranching.

“I loved teaching all those kids and I never dreaded going to work. I only had two kids I didn’t like in that time and one of them transferred anyway. I had so much help from folks like Dean Kunkel, Dr. Howard Hesby, who had to teach me how to do a grade book, Dr. Larry Boleman, Harold Franke and oh so many more, I can’t even being to mention everyone. It was the best job,” describes Litterst,

He was the driving force in securing the funds for the Louis Pearce Pavilion, which is used as a teaching facility for current students, as well as 4-H and FFA contests year around.

He served as the Class of ’43 class agent from 1984-1996 and from 2007 till the present. He is a life long member of the Century Club and the endowment fund, established largely by Dick Haas and Louis Pearce in his name, has over $430,000 available for scholarships. Annually four Frank Litterst scholarships are awarded to animal science majors.

Litterst, who continues to reside in College Station, is a season ticket holder for A&M football, men and women’s basketball, baseball and track. In fact, he almost missed being there for the announcement of this honor as he started leave to attend the girls’ basketball game with Texas and had to be told he needed to stay for a few more minutes.

He also participates in many of the Traveling Aggie trips overseas and has one on his calendar for 2009. At 87, he is still very involved in animal science activities on campus and is always in attendance at the annual Beef Short Course held in August.

He also attended the 2009 San Antonio Bull and Heifer Sale as well as the Houston Sales and at both venues was surrounded by his former students and industry friends.

Litterst’s three children and their spouses, and some of his former students, his classmate and life long friend, Dr. Dick Winters of Brady, TAMU president, Dr. Elsa A. Murano and university and  College of Ag dignitaries, as well as many of the girls from the Traveling Aggies office, and a host of fellow class agents, were on hand for the surprise announcement. Litterst and the other 2009 Distinguished Alumnus will be honored at two more events in 2009 for this prestigious award.


Editors Note: Mr. Litterst has been a friend of Southern Livestock since its inception and we are pleased to share this news with his friends and former students. If you would like to send him a congratulations note, please email marthag@southernlivestock.com and put Litterst in the subject line. We will see that he receives them.