With his family loaded in his pickup hauling a stock trailer full of their belongings, Jerry Fitch arrived in Stillwater in January 1988 to begin his career as an Oklahoma State University Extension sheep specialist.

He didn’t just bring his family and sheep expertise with him — he also brought more snow than Stillwater had ever seen, said Jerry Fitch, animal science professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

“Before we even completely unloaded the trailer, the next morning there was 15 inches of snow on the ground,” Fitch said. “Everyone in the department blamed me for bringing the snow from Colorado.”

The snowy welcome marked the start of what would be a nearly four-decade career at OSU.

Fitch was raised in the foothills of California, about 60 miles from Yosemite, on a diversified livestock operation, he said. His family raised 250 cows, 350 head of sheep and 100,000 laying hens that supplied eggs to a four-county area, he said.

Growing up, he showed both sheep and cattle, experiences that ultimately shaped his future, he added. His success in the show ring led him to California Polytechnic State University, where he graduated in 1980, Fitch said.

In 1979, Fitch was named high individual at the National Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, a defining achievement in his collegiate career, he said.

After graduation, he spent four years working for Farm Credit.

“It was a great job,” Fitch said. “But I decided I wanted a change and to work with students.”

The realization took him from the California foothills to the Colorado mountains, where he earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in animal genetics and animal breeding from Colorado State University in the fall of 1987, he said.

While still working toward his doctorate, in 1983, Fitch was judging sheep at the Cow Palace, the biggest sheep show on the West Coast, when Bob Kropp, then an OSU animal science professor, asked him why he had not applied for the sheep specialist position, which was open at OSU, Fitch said.

With a year left in his doctoral program, he figured the university would not want to wait, he said.

“Before I even got home, my wife had received a phone call from Dr. Bob Totusek saying, ‘If you are one of the best sheep guys in the nation, we want you to apply, and we will wait to get you done,’” Fitch said. “I came here in January of ’88, and I have been here ever since.”

When he arrived, his initial appointment was 70% Extension and 30% teaching, Fitch said. Over time, his appointment has shifted to 80% teaching and less Extension, reflecting his passion for working with students, he added.

Fitch has served in a variety of roles and provided leadership in many areas over the years, said Richard Coffey, professor and head of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.

Throughout his decades-long career, Fitch served as animal and food sciences interim department head and volunteered as faculty supervisor for the dairy center.

He has been the faculty supervisor of the OSU Sheep and Goat Center since arriving at OSU and currently serves as teaching coordinator for the animal science program, Coffey said.

“He has made a huge impact on the department as a whole,” Coffey said. “He has largely put his stamp on the department through his role as teaching coordinator.”

When Fitch arrived at OSU, there were 476 students in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Today, that number exceeds 1,150, Fitch said. Through the years, more than 10,000 students have walked through his classroom, he added.

“He has been instrumental in developing the capstone course and creating a course that makes students think critically,” Coffey said.

Among his accomplishments, he is most proud of helping develop the Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Encounter program in 2002, alongside Justin Whitefield and Brad Morgan.

This year marks the 23rd year of OALE. Within the Ferguson College of Agriculture, 12 to 13 juniors and seniors are annually selected to represent OALE.

These select students travel across all four quadrants of Oklahoma, gaining broad exposure to the wide variety of agriculture the state has to offer, Fitch said.

“I’m all about developing the next generation of agricultural leaders,” Fitch said. “The OALE program has gone further to do that than anything I could ever imagine.

“It is partially because of me, but it is a lot because of the tie to the Oklahoma Youth Expo and all the great contacts we have of individuals in the industry,” Fitch said. “They are willing to spend their time talking to these students, telling them what they did right, what they did wrong and how to do better.”

He would never have fathomed that the OALE program would be what it is today, Fitch added. Today, most of the staff at OYE were once part of the OALE program, he said.

Throughout the many different roles his job has encompassed, the most meaningful parts extend beyond the classroom, Fitch said.

“I think one of the most meaningful things over time really doesn’t have to do with the job itself,” Fitch said. “It has to do with all the other things, such as leadership trainings and Special Olympics.”

Fitch and his family have always been deeply involved in the Stillwater community, he said. His late wife, June, was heavily involved with Alpha Omicron Pi and served as a 4-H leader for many years.

His daughter, Laurie, graduated from OSU in 2017 with a degree in agricultural communications and worked for U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe in Washington, D.C., from 2017 to 2023.

His son, Brian, is heavily involved in Oklahoma Special Olympics and participates in the OSU Unified Sports program, Fitch said.

Fitch is the sheep superintendent for both the Tulsa State Fair and OYE, he added.

“His family dynamic truly distinguishes him from others,” said JanLee Rowlett, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry deputy commissioner. “Everyone knew Mrs. June and Brian.

“You feel like family the first time you meet him,” she added.

Jerry and June Fitch began leading the Cowboy Country Polar Plunge in 2010, benefiting Oklahoma Special Olympics, Fitch said.

When students gather at the Ferguson College of Agriculture’s freshmen welcome event, Fitch’s booming voice leads them in their first “Orange Power” chant. Since 2003, Fitch has announced students’ names as they cross the graduation stage.

As Fitch prepares to retire in May, colleagues say his retirement will be felt throughout the department.

“In today’s world, it is hard to find somebody who started their career in the same place they ended it,” Coffey said. “He has been here since day one and never left. He has the love and passion because this has been his home.”

Coffey added that Fitch is the epitome of the Cowboy Code — not a day goes by that he sees him without orange on.

Fitch possesses valuable institutional knowledge, and a missing piece will be left when he’s gone, Coffey said.

“He is someone I can point young faculty toward and say, ‘If you want to pattern a career on strong student mentorship and engagement, walk down the hall and have a conversation with Jerry Fitch,’” Coffey said. “He has done it, and he has the track record to show he has been successful at it.”

Fitch takes an individualized approach to teaching and mentorship, Rowlett said.

He has an open-door policy and makes himself a resource to students, she added.

“He invests time in getting to know each student,” Rowlett said. “He knows their strengths and doesn’t push everyone the same way.”

As he steps into retirement, Fitch leaves a piece of advice for all students, he said.

“You will always have the opportunity to get a job because of your ability to get to work on time, work hard and not always shut the door at 5 o’clock,” Fitch said. “Employers from every facet come to us in the college of agriculture, and the reason is they know agriculture kids know how to get up in the morning and work all day long,” Fitch added.
Fitch added that you never want to close a door — put one foot in, and see where it goes from there. Fitch said he plans to follow the same advice he gives students.

“I told Brian we are going to do three months of whatever we want to do,” Fitch said. “We’re visiting my daughter in North Carolina, and Brian is representing Oklahoma at the National Special Olympic Games this June in Minneapolis.”

Afterward, Fitch said he and his family will travel to the Netherlands with OALE, a trip they have attended together over the past several years.

Nearly 40 years after arriving in Stillwater, Fitch leaves behind more than a career. He leaves generations of students impacted and a department marked by his voice, mentorship and Cowboy legacy.

Story by Mack Conway | Cowboy Journal