Interview with C. Oran Little, January 31, 2002

Interview Summary

In this interview, C. Oran Little describes his decision to leave the University of Kentucky to pursue a position at Louisiana State University. He states that during the 1960s, he had the opportunity to leave UK for other opportunities, but he saw no point in leaving while there was so much growth and excitement at UK. During the 1980s, Little started looking for positions at other universities. He applied for a job at Iowa State University, but saw some problems there and decided to remove his name from the search. He was a candidate for a position at the University of Georgia, when an opportunity at Louisiana State University became available. He recalls interviewing for the position at LSU and his decision to accept the position. Little explains that things were in a stalemate at UK, and Louisiana's agriculture issues were similar to what he had experienced in Kentucky. He talks about Dean Charles Barnhart's supportive reaction to his decision to leave. Little and his wife moved to Louisiana in August of 1985. He discusses how much he enjoyed the new environment and new people. He describes some differences between LSU and UK, and explains that in Louisiana the Agricultural Center developed its own budget and presented it to legislators. Little talks about learning to deal with politics in Louisiana and recalls keeping contacts in Kentucky while he was a LSU. After two years at LSU, Little became aware of some new opportunities. A position at Texas A&M opened and Dean Barnhart retired at UK. Little explains that he was not interested in the Dean of the College of Agriculture position at UK, until he ran into the new UK president, David Roselle, in Washington, D.C. Little was so impressed with Roselle that he sent his resume to UK in the Fall of 1987. He discusses interviews at UK and meetings with agricultural leaders in Kentucky. Little eventually accepted the position of Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Kentucky.

Interview LC Subject

Little, C. Oran (Charles Oran), 1935- Little, C. Oran (Charles Oran), 1935- --Interviews Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.) University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture Agriculture

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