William D. Hoard, a publicist from Wisconsin, is inducted as the “Father of American Dairying.”

Hoard was a member of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry

Hoard founded the Dairyman in 1885, as a full-page supplement to his newspaper, the Jefferson County Union. Dairyman dedicated to promoting the welfare and interest of dairy farmers and consumers.

Hoard was active in many campaigns to improve the quality of diary products, including eradicating food adulteration and bovine tuberculosis. In 1889, Hoard’s Dairyman financed and created the first cow census undertaken in the United States, which was the forerunner of current herd improvement associations. He was also instrumental in fostering herd tests and sire brood-cow research programs initiated by the USDA in 1917.

Hoard’s efforts led to the establishment of the nation’s first dairy school at the University of Wisconsin, where he served as President of the Board of Regents for many years. In 1888, he was elected Governor of Wisconsin. Hoard was named Wisconsin’s Most Distinguished Citizen during the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco.

A statue in honor of Hoard was erected on the campus of the University of Wisconsin after his death in 1918.