Four graduate students became part of a living, working legacy this fall. Tina Truong, Kai Ow-Wing, Yufeng Lin and Tyler Jarrard are the first recipients of the William E. Younts Jr. Dairy Science Graduate Support Endowment, benefitting graduate students as they pursue their advanced degrees focusing on dairy processing and or dairy food manufacturing with the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. In the process, they are fulfilling the legacy of the award’s namesake and his son, Bud Younts, who made the endowment possible.
“My father dedicated his professional life to the dairy industry, and he fought long and hard for dairy farmers to be able to earn a living wage farming in North Carolina,” Younts says. “This gift is to honor my father and continue the legacy of support from the Younts family toward the dairy industry.”
Dedicated to the Dairy Industry
William E. Younts Jr. was one of the first graduates of NC State’s Dairy Manufacturing program in 1948. Following service in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Army, the Greensboro native began a career in the dairy industry and was an officer in the North Carolina Dairy Products Association. Gov. Robert Scott appointed him to the North Carolina Milk Commission in 1972, where he served for more than 10 years.
“He was honored that Governor Scott put him on the Milk Commission and he was very proud of his service there,” Bud Younts says.
Give to the William E. Younts Jr. Dairy Science Graduate Support Endowment today.
In addition to his work and service in the industry, William Younts was an avid NC State fan. He gifted dairy equipment he collected through the years to the Randleigh Dairy Heritage Museum on Lake Wheeler Road. Visitors can now see it on display as they learn about the state’s history in the dairy industry, and stroll the working farm housing over 300 cows.
A Gift That Lasts
Four generations of the Younts family have attended NC State including William’s father-in-law Robert T. Cottam, William, Bud and his niece and nephew. Bud Younts graduated from the chemical engineering program in 1979 and is now the owner of a successful high technology textile fiber company, DI 2 Technologies. He is giving back to the university that has propelled so many in his family on their paths to success.
“The dairy industry was important to my dad and this is how I want to honor his memory,” Younts says. “I know my mother’s proud of this and I feel like he would be, too. I’m pleased that we can support the graduate students who are working in dairy manufacturing and contribute to their work as they strengthen the industry.”
This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.
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