Oklahoma senator recognized by Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Friday, October 21, 2016

His two degrees from Oklahoma State University and more than 30 years of service with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service gave Sen. Ron Justice a great understanding of the importance of agriculture in the state.

Justice of Chickasha, Oklahoma, earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in agricultural education from OSU in 1967 and 1968, respectively. He was hired in 1972 as an Extension agriculture and 4-H agent in Muskogee County before becoming the Alfalfa County Extension Director in 1975. He served in the same role for Grady County from 1979 until his retirement in 2003.

Then, Justice served as District 23’s senator for 12 years and is retiring from public service this year.

During his legislative tenure, Justice worked tirelessly to represent the interests of his district and the agricultural industry. In recognition of his dedication and profound impact on the state, the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources recently honored Justice as a 2016 Distinguished Alumni.

“Distinguished Alumni provide a great example for our current students, as well as our recent graduates. If you take Sen. Justice in particular, he's someone who has used his education here at OSU and has benefited, not only his county and his local community, but the state of Oklahoma, and certainly DASNR, in a variety of ways,” said Rob Terry, agricultural education, communications and leadership department head.

His work helped secure a $2.3 million state appropriation for DASNR in 2014, including $1 million each for OCES and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and $300,000 for equipment upgrades at the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center.

“He was very instrumental in several pieces of legislation that have benefited agriculture across our state,” said Terry. “It's important for our students to see that you can have that kind of influence once you move on from Stillwater and your OSU environment.”

As District 23’s senator, Justice served as the vice-chairman of appropriations and chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on natural resources and regulatory services. He also was vice-chairman of agriculture and rural development, as well as a member of the tourism and wildlife committee, and energy and rules committee.

“We're losing a lot when we lose him from the legislature at the end of this term,” said Tom Coon, DASNR vice president. “He was a great spokesperson for what we do and what difference our programs make in agriculture and in communities across the state.”

Justice has been honored with the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Oklahoma Pork Council and has been a member of the Chickasha Lions Club for more than 40 years. He also is a member of the Grady County Cattle Producers, Mineral Owners Association and the Alfalfa Hay Association.