Denver Agriculture & Livestock Club Scholarship

This scholarship was created in 2021 to support Ag Production or Ag Education majors at Northeastern.

The Denver Agricultural and Livestock Club (DALC) seeks to promote the importance of agriculture, especially in urban areas, in order to create awareness of the significance of agriculture in Colorado, and functions as a forum for discussion and education about current issues in American and world agriculture. The Club cooperates with state, city, and regional agricultural organizations and has joined with the Denver Chamber of Commerce, Colorado State University, and other agencies in several cooperative endeavors for the promotion of agriculture in Colorado communities. The organization is open to farmers, ranchers, educators, business people, government officials, and others who are interested in occupations which contribute to the agricultural economy of Colorado.

The Club was founded in 1946 under the name of the Denver Agricultural Club as the result of an informal meeting called by A.K. "Ace" Hepperly, an agricultural agent for the CB&Q Railroad. World War II had brought considerable attention to food as a war commodity and as a key factor influencing the terms of postwar peace. This attention illuminated the importance of American agriculture, particularly its social and economic value. Increasing awareness of the role of agriculture created a perfect situation for creating an organization that would meet regularly to discuss problems and exchange ideas concerning agriculture. The informal meeting called by Mr. Hepperly was attended by Jim White, P.K. Yonge, Harley Renollet, Willard Simms, and Jim Godard, and the first official meeting of the Denver Agricultural Club occurred on February 3, 1947. Jim White, editor of Western Farm Life, became the first president of the organization in 1947. In 1949, the Club underwent a name change to become the Denver Agricultural and Livestock Club. On April 29, 1958, the Club was incorporated under the laws of the State of Colorado.

Early objectives of the Club included fostering programs such as 4-H Club, Future Farmers of America (FFA), vocational agricultural projects, and the National Western Stock Show, including the Catch-It-Calf contest and FFA heifer wrangle for local youth interested in agriculture. In later years, the Club provided scholarships for agricultural students and, in conjunction with Colorado State University, has given awards for outstanding sugar beet growers and corn producers. The Club continues to support such endeavors, as well as discuss current agriculture issues and problems.