Did you know John F. Kennedy gifted an Oklahoma senator and member of the American Angus Association an Angus bull statue? Or that Wisconsin Angus breeder and astronaut, Mark Lee, packed a copy of the Angus Journal with him on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989? Have you ever seen George Grant’s top hat? 

Visitors to the American Angus Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo., will be able to see and learn about those things and more with the launch of new displays throughout the building. 

Mark McCully, Association CEO, says the exhibit offers a glimpse of Angus history — both of the breed and the Association that has supported it. 

“So much of what Angus is today can be credited to the history of great cattlemen who have led the Association through the years,” McCully says. “By highlighting history around the office, we hope to honor that heritage.”

For decades, the Association has accumulated historical artifacts that were shelved in storage, but now are on display.

McCully’s favorite is the The History of Aberdeen Angus Cattle book describing the influence of the Angus breed from Scotland. The book survived the Chicago stockyard fire in 1934 and has the charred edges to prove it. The Association offices, located in the Stockyards during the fire, were later moved to Saint Joseph, Mo. 

The book used to reside in McCully’s office, but out on display, many more visitors will see it. The display updates include renovations to the library and additional exhibits throughout the office, including a timeline of Association history. 

Immerse in the legacy 

The multimedia displays begin in the library, where visitors can learn about the history of the Association, the origins of the breed in Scotland and view an AI-generated video of George Grant describing why he came to America. From there guests can follow a timeline of the Association interwoven with milestones of the U.S. beef industry. 

The displays are the creative work of Cogent Ideas, Inc., based in Topeka, Kan. Led by Deb Norton, president and creative director, and Julie Tucker, vice president and CEO, their team has made Angus history come to life. 

“No single breed can document the struggles, the voluminous body of research and accumulated data while simultaneously impacting beef production across all sectors as the Angus breed,” Norton says. “The opportunity to document the events and data points of the Association and display them within the context of American, and even world history in the same proximity, creates a historical account of the men and women who established the Association."

Angus breeders who have made a mark on history are highlighted as a part of the interactive display in the library. For example, members of the Angus Heritage Foundation are innovators and visionaries within the breed. Visitors can scroll through the honorees, read their stories and watch videos, learning about their contributions to the Association and Angus history. 

It also features Angus breeders inducted into the Saddle and Sirloin Portrait gallery. Dubbed the Livestock Industry’s Hall of Fame, inductees are icons within the industry. The display showcases the portraits and descriptions of greats like Minnie Lou Bradley, Dave Nichols and Mick Colvin. 

For McCully, the biggest benefit of the new displays will be to encourage more breeders to stop by to take a tour of the Association offices. 
“We’re proud of the good work we do at the Association and love engaging with people who stop by,” he says. 

Editor’s note: The Association often hosts groups of FFA or 4-H students, as well as members who are traveling through Saint Joseph and want to stop. Tours can be scheduled by contacting the office.