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C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation board members meet for an annual meeting in the Litton Agricultural Education Center on the campus of the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center in Chillicothe Thursday evening, April 6, 2017.

C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

Managing directors of the foundation are Lynn Hoover, President; Ed Turner, Vice President; Bonnie Mitchell, Secretary-Treasurer; Alvin Cohen; and Ron Wolf. Advisory directors are Rusty Black, Julie (Radcliff) Bothwell, Don Chapman, Jr., Laura Lee (Summerville) Gayfield, Bill Jackson, Lowell Mohler, E.L. Reed, Lauri (Mitchell) Shemwell, Eric Turner, Jim Summerville, James P. Valbracht, Larry Warren, Kristi Smith Wyatt, and Honorary Advisory Member (former CAFNR Dean) Tom Payne. [Founding director Merle Doughty passed away in 2017, and Kenneth Churchill passed away in 2010.]

C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

Grand River Technical School Ag Instructors - See program page and photos >>

Litton Facility news >>

FOUNDATION HISTORY...

The Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation was created in 1976 after the passing of Jerry, his wife, and their two children. Over the years, the foundation has supported the development of future leaders in the agricultural industry and beyond. The CAFNR continues the foundation's mission through the Litton Leadership Scholars program. Other components of the endowment: the Litton Lectureship that brings interesting speakers to campus, the Litton Fellowship which supports faculty entrepreneurial activities, and the Litton Agricultural Leadership Fellowship to help students to gain farm policymaking experience.

In April, 2009, the board held its first meeting after the death of the late Mildred Litton, co-founder of the foundation. (More on Mildred Litton) First established in 1976 by Charley and Mildred Litton, Mildred assumed the presidency of the organization after Charley's death in 1980. Upon her instructions, the foundation was to be reorganized by creating a five-member group of managing directors and up to 15 advisory directors. Members Hoover, Turner, Mitchell, Cohen, Chapman, Churchill, and Doughty were charter members of the organization. Other charter members were the late Pat Crabtree, Charlie Reed, Ken Harden, the late Oscar Cooke, and Clifford and Vivian Summerville. Jim Summerville joined the board in 1980 and E.L. Reed in 1996. The late Mary Ellen (Mrs. Joel) Valbracht served as director from 1981 until 2007. See archive photos below.

The foundation supports agricultural, educational, and athletic activities in memory of the Jerry Litton family. Primary focus is given to Chillicothe and Livingston County, but support may be provided to other qualified projects within the state.

Each spring, the Litton Leadership Scholars program visits the Litton campus and meets with the Litton Foundation members. In the Fall of 2017, the Litton Foundation members will visit Columbia in conjunction with the Jerry Litton Lecture Series on October 3.

The Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation may be reached at their permanent office at 409 Washington Street in Chillicothe, Missouri. The mailing address is P O Box 695, and the telephone number is 660-646-5050.

Foundation Grant Guidelines and Application

The Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation is a private foundation established in honor of Jerry Litton, son of Charley and Mildred Litton, and his family, all of Chillicothe, Missouri. The Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation allow it to consider grant proposals for a broad range of projects and goals, but all grants made must be used for exclusively literary, educational and charitable purposes.

You may download, view and/or print our complete guidelines and grant application here.
(28KB PDF)

Grant application forms may also be obtained by contacting the offices of the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, 409 Washington Street, P O Box 695, Chillicothe, Missouri, 64601.

Grant applications may be submitted at any time. The Board meets periodically to consider applications. Grant applicants will receive notice of the decision of the Board. Grant applicants may be required to sign a Grant Award Agreement before receiving grant funds, and will generally be required to report the detailed expenditure of grant funds to the Foundation.

CAPTION: A generous donation given by Livingston County 4-H and FFA board president, David Beck, to the Jerry Litton Foundation board member Ron Wolf, Wednesday night helps the fair exhibitors a large concrete pad between barns.

C-T Photo / Beth Cox

The Livingston County 4-H and FFA Fair board was generous Wednesday evening during a short break at the Country Music Jamboree. A donation of $16,000 was presented to Ron Wolf, board member of the Jerry Litton Foundation. The money will go toward the cost of the concrete pad that was installed earlier this year between the north barn and the cattle barn. "The concrete allows the moving of trailers in and out easier and also helps with drainage," said David Beck, Livingston County Fair Board president. The fair this year is a history-maker as the weather has cooperated with cooler temperatures and the rain holding back. Featured events have been well attended. The fair continues with events such as the super teen contest tonight and the market animal sale Friday evening.

CAPTION: The Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation awarded $500,000 to the Chillicothe FFA Alumni Association to help fund construction of the new agricultural education building at the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center.

Click here for complete article...

New Ag Education Center Dedication and related press 05/15/2008 to present...

Litton Inducted into State Fair Hall of Fame
Published: Friday, August 21, 2009, C-T

CAPTION: Mildred Litton
C-T File Photo

SEDALIA, Mo. — Mildred Litton was inducted into the Missouri State Fair Hall of Fame on Sunday, August 16 in Sedalia. She was selected posthumously for induction into the Missouri State Fair 4-H Hall of Fame because she was instrumental to the success of many youth programs in Livingston County, according to state 4-H officials. They also noted that Litton’s legacy continues today through the work of the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation.

Missouri 4-H recognizes outstanding individuals for their service and dedication to 4-H by honoring them with membership in the Missouri 4-H Hall of Fame. Each inductee is recognized and presented with a plaque at the Missouri State Fair. Fellow club members, families and friends of the inductees are invited to attend. Ron Wolf, co-director of the Grand River Technical School, accepted the award on Litton's behalf.

CAPTION: Mildred Litton was inducted posthumously into the Missouri State Fair 4-H Hall of Fame on Sunday in Sedalia. Ron Wolf, co-director of the Grand River Technical School, (right) accepted the award on her behalf during the ceremony. He stands with Bud Herzog, chairman of the 4-H foundation (left).

C-T Submitted Photo

For more information and photos on Mildred Litton, visit our HISTORY page...

Litton Center KIDS Grant
03/12/2010

On March 12, 2010, first grade students from Dewey Elementary school came to the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center for an educational visit. This educational experience was made possible by the Litton Center KIDS Grant, sponsored by the Litton Family Foundation. Click here for complete press release and photos...

$10K Gift to Barton Campus
June 21, 2011

CAPTION: Steve Maxey, left, director of the North Central Missouri College Foundation, accepts a $10,000 gift from Bonnie Mitchell and Ed Turner, officers of the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation. The funds are to be used for development of the Barton Farm Campus of North Central Missouri College.

Read complete article here...