Interview with H. David Hilliard, June 14, 1985

Interview Summary

H. David Hilliard was born in Clinton, Kentucky in 1916. He attended the high school at what later became Hickman County High School. On the family farm, his parents raised hogs and chickens. Hilliard recalls that brother once completed a 2-acre cotton project for the 4-H Club. During the Depression in 1934, Hilliard managed to get a job with the National Youth Administration (NYA) in Murray, Kentucky custom hay baling on a farm for two summers. Later, Hilliard could not get the job back, so he hitchhiked to Lexington, Kentucky and enrolled at the University of Kentucky, where he graduated in 1938. He taught vocational agriculture for five years in London, Kentucky, while completing graduate work in agricultural education during the summer.

Hilliard stresses the importance of the instruction and assistance he received from UK's College of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and Extension Services throughout his career. He has worked on the 1300 acre family farm in Hickman County since 1943. Hilliard describes the livestock and crop programs on the farm, and discusses his participation in the certified seed program, where he grew Kentucky 31 fescue and hybrid seed corn with registered seed. He mentions many people he worked with in these programs, such as Shirley Phillips, Dr. Oran Little, and Dr. W. D. Valleau. Hilliard discusses his work as President of the Kentucky Seed Improvement Association in 1967 and between 1971 and 1975. He explains his work with the Farm Analysis Group, and states that he was President of the Production Credit Administration. He also served on the Extension Advisory Committee. Hilliard discusses his satisfying and dissatisfying experiences, and talks about his family. The interviewer lists the many organizations Hilliard has served as well as his many awards, including the Thomas Poe Cooper award.

Interview Keyword

H.D. Hilliard Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service

Interview LC Subject

Agriculture. Hilliard, H. David, 1916- Hilliard, H. David, 1916- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History University of Kentucky. Cooperative Extension Service

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Interview Usage

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