Born near Caseyville, Ill., he graduated from Pennsylvania State University, where he was later inducted into the alumni hall of fame. He joined the American Angus Association staff as regional manager in the eastern U.S. in 1943, and later worked in Texas and New Mexico. He served as Director of Field Services for the Association in Saint Joseph, Mo., until he retired in 1976 in Brady, Texas and then spent several more years promoting Angus in Central and South America.