Poem: That Man is a Success...
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From Bobby D. Moser,
Vice President for Agricultural Administration and Dean
Vice President for University Outreach
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

"Dick Fitton graduated from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in 1950. While in college, he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and through the years, stayed in touch with many fraternity brothers.

Dick was in continuous contact with the leadership of the college, and was also actively involved with programs in the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and Ohio State University Extension. He often commented about how a small amount of money for agriculture research returned a phenomenal amount of money for Ohioans through the sale of better quality, more efficiently produced and safer food products.

He had good relationships with many leaders at the University, including former Vice President Roy Kottman, Presidents Gee, Kirwan, and Holcomb, Senior Associate Dean L.H. Newcomb, Vice President Jerry May, and Development Director Lynda Heyl and with me.

Dick established the Richard J. Fitton Leadership Fund in 1995, which supports the Alpha Zeta Partners Leadership Program. He believed in the programs and what it provided students in the college. In the program brochure, he was quoted as saying,

"The need for well-trained leadership to push forward the emerging agriculture and natural resources agenda in the coming decades is a priority for human capital needs of our industry. Through the structured experiences provided in the Alpha Zeta Partners Leadership Program, we can develop in current students the leadership traits to provide understanding and foresight of current and future issues affecting our industry as well as society in general. I support this initiative now for the future benefits it will provide to all of our lives."

As a result of the support that Dick gave to students, and the interest that he showed in the leadership programs, Dick was presented with the "Meritorious Service to Agriculture Students Award" by President Gordon Gee in 1997.

In addition to the Richard J. Fitton Leadership Fund, Dick supported numerous other areas in agriculture and across the campus. Some of these include: Athletic Advancement Fund, Butler County Extension Programs, The Ohio 4-H Foundation, and 4-H Center, the John Glenn Institute. And, he gave to scholarships in honor of friends and faculty including Roy Kottman, Elizabeth Gee, Francis McCormick, Frances Brundige, Jean Hansford, Novice Fawcett, Bob Watkins, and Ralph Bazler. Finally, always, each year, Dick gave support to my Vice President for Agricultural Administration fund to help build a foundation under the college for future years. He gave to the endowment, which will last forever. He knew and understood the agricultural saying, "Don't eat your seed corn".

Dick and Rebecca were regular visitors in the President's suite and with me at Ohio State Football games. This year, and in coming years, he will be missed, but he will be there in our hearts."

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