Interview with C. Oran Little, November 21, 2001
Project: C. Oran Little Oral History Project
Interview Summary
In this interview, C. Oran Little discusses his early experiences as an administrator. He mentions awards he has received and their importance to him. He states that he received the Cooper Award, an award that is given by the College of Agriculture to a faculty member for significant research over a two-year period, a university research award, and recognition from the feed industry. Little talks about his work as an administrator in the agricultural research program. He mentions Governor Edward Breathitt, who he feels saw the growth potential of agriculture. Little discusses the push to increase agricultural production and animal nutrition research into the toxicity of fescue. Little describes the College of Agriculture's Tobacco Health Institute and tobacco research. He talks about attempts to create a tobacco plant that was less harmful to people's health, and states that as long as tobacco is legal, scientists have the obligation to attempt to create the least harmful tobacco possible. Little discusses the frustrations of dealing with tobacco health issues and the Tobacco Health Institute. He mentions farmer reluctance to change from hand-typing tobacco to baling tobacco. Little states that it would be wrong for a land grant university to abandon the tobacco farmer, because their product has been proven to be bad for your health. Little discusses advances in the Kentucky farm industry since the 1960s. He mentions that Kentucky reached a million dollar gross farm income by the end of the 1960s, and in the 1970s, they pioneered the development of no-till. He also mentions the grain crop industry in Kentucky, the development of a soybean industry in Kentucky, and exciting things happening in livestock forage.Interview Accession
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Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.
All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.
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Little, C. Oran Interview by Terry L. Birdwhistell. 21 Nov. 2001. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Little, C.O. (2001, November 21). Interview by T. L. Birdwhistell. C. Oran Little Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Little, C. Oran, interview by Terry L. Birdwhistell. November 21, 2001, C. Oran Little Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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