William Henry Conklin

William Henry Conklin, posthumous honoree, Union County, Ohio was a pioneer in the livestock industry by marketing dairy cattle to dairy farmers for more than 40 years. As a leader in breeding and exhibiting registered Holsteins, Conklin served the dairy industry by committing to developing and maintaining a standard of excellence in improving the quality of cattle in the United States. Producers throughout the United States benefited from his expertise in livestock breeding, feeding and management.

In 1937, Conklin was the promoter of one of the first public cattle auctions in Ohio. His public auctions and private treaty sales became the established marketplace for high quality Holsteins, as he marketed more than 125,000 head of livestock in his lifetime.