A Celebration of Life will be held later this year for Neal Jorgensen, an emeritus professor of dairy science who served the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in numerous leadership positions including dean. Jorgensen passed away on December 22 at his home in Florida. He was 85 years old.
Neil was born and raised on a dairy farm in Polk County. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and earned his master's and Ph.D. degrees from UW-Madison before serving his country honorably in the U.S. Army.
He joined the faculty at UW-Madison's Dairy Science Department as a dairy nutritionist in 1968, and went on to serve the college as associate dean, executive associate dean and dean before retiring in 1998.
Upon retirement he and has wife, Darlyne, wintered in Florida for a few years before becoming permanent residents of The Villages in Florida.
Jorgensen was active in many professional organizations and producer groups throughout his career. He served as president of the American Dairy Science Association and sat on the ADSA Foundation board of directors. He was chairman of Farm Progress Days Inc. of Wisconsin and active in several other Wisconsin farm organizations. He also served on the board of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology and on the National Research Council Board on Agriculture, which advised the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on research, extension and farm policy.
In 1997, he was honored by the Farm and Industry Short Course with a Service to Agriculture Award. The following year he was given the school's Distinguished Service Award. In 2004, Jorgensen received the ADSA Award of Honor for his many contributions to the association.
Categories: Wisconsin, Education