Roth Recognized as NAAB Pioneer
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in dairy science from Penn State University in 1954, Harry Roth was employed as a York County Extension Agent. In 1956, he took a position as Field Manager with Western Pennsylvania Artificial Breeders Co-op, in Clarion, Pa. In 1960, Roth was named General Manager of that organization. In 1963, Western and Southeastern Artificial Breeding Cooperatives merged into a new organization called Atlantic Breeders Cooperative located near Lancaster, Pa. Roth began his career with Atlantic Breeders Cooperative in 1964 as Operations Manager of their Genetic & Production Division.
As Genetic Director, Roth established a|
NAAB Chairman Al Kuck presents Harry Roth with the 2008 NAAB Pioneer Award. |
reputation for yielding an extraordinary set of breed greats out of a reasonably small program. The list is quite lengthy, but to name a few - there was Hilltop Apollo Ivanhoe, Penn State Ivanhoe Star, Harrisburg Gay Ideal, Apollo Rocket, and, of course, Mascot.
Roth was among the absolute first and most aggressive to establish international marketing concepts of U.S. genetics. He combined the elite sires of Atlantic, the high quality of Pennsylvania herds, and Pennsylvania hospitality to intrigue and educate foreign markets. Roth established the gold mark for all of the artificial insemination industry during those early years of establishing international markets.
Roth became General Manager of Atlantic Breeders Cooperative in 1985. In this position, he advanced the cooperative into numerous business alliances and relationships long before this business concept and mode was popular. He leveraged the Atlantic advantages to build marketing relationships such as NAL, U.S. Genes, Federated Genetics, World Wide Sires and the original Genex. When Roth retired in 1993, he culminated his career by leading the Atlantic membership and board into the merger of the current Genex as a part of CRI.
Recognizing the value of research, Roth used this same model in providing leadership among joint cooperative research projects. His vision of growing and developing Atlantic through alliance arrangements was textbook and far ahead of the business school curriculums.
A true pioneer projects leadership outside their job description. It would be a challenge to list all of Roth's contributions to the industry which were utilized numerous times by Penn State University, the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Governor's Board of Economic Development. It is interesting to note Roth was also an approved and well-known cattle judge and was on the Board of Directors of the All-American Dairy Show for 20 years. His contributions to the NAAB consisted of a six-year term on the Board of Directors which included Board Chairman. He also served on the NAAB Managers' Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, Ethics Committee and the Dairy Sire Evaluation Committee.
Harry Roth is a true pioneer of the United States' A.I. industry - ask anyone around the world. He was a mentor and leader, and his recognition as an NAAB Pioneer is very much deserved.
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(Release from the National Association of Animal Breeders)
