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The Danforth Fellowship Alumni Endowment and Earl A. Sindecuse Memorial Fund

Purpose of the Endowment

The purpose of this endowment is to provide sustainable support for the training and development of young men and women who are motivated to become leaders in the Sustainable Agriculture movement in the United States and worldwide. Each year, 5.5% of the endowment's balance is made available to Heifer International to assist in supporting such training and trainees within Heifer's US and worldwide programs.

Background

William H. Danforth was the founder of the Ralston Purina Company, which under his leadership became a leading manufacturer of animal feeds in the United States. Mr. Danforth's success in business, starting in 1894, allowed him also to become a pioneer in philanthropy, with a primary objective of creating a positive influence in the lives of young men and women. Thus he established the American Youth Foundation in 1924 and the Danforth Foundation in 1927.

In the Summer of 1957 a group of 38 agricultural college senior men were nominated by their respective universities to participate in the Danforth Summer Fellowship program. These men came from 36 states plus one each from Canada and Puerto Rico. Under the tutelage of Earl A. Sindecuse, then Director of Public Relations at the Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis, the "Danforth Fellows" gathered for two weeks of professional training in livestock feeding and management at Ralston Purina facilities, followed by two weeks of inspirational study of "Life's Essentials," recreation, and fellowship at the American Youth Foundation's Camp Miniwanca in Shelby, Michigan.

In September 2007, 15 of the original group of 1957 Danforth Fellows met again at Camp Miniwanca for a weekend reunion, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of their earlier summer together. One of the products of the reunion was a decision to establish a "Legacy Project," which would honor the influence that the Danforth Summer Fellowship had made in their lives, and specifically to honor the memory of Earl "Sindy" Sindecuse, their mentor and friend during the four weeks together in 1957.

In the months that followed the reunion, a small subgroup of the 1957 Danforth Fellows explored several ideas for the proposed Legacy Project, finally deciding to establish this Memorial Endowment Fund with Heifer Foundation. Contributions to the fund can also be made to honor the memories of deceased Danforth Fellowship alumni and other individuals who have contributed significantly to the professional development of young men and women within the realm of agriculture and world food security and sustainability.

Make a Gift

There are multiple ways to make a gift to the Danforth Fellowship Alumni Endowment and Earl A. Sindecuse Memorial Fund. You can make a regular gift to the endowment, or you can make a gift in honor or in memory of someone, and we will send the individual or family a card to acknowledge your gift. Use the buttons below to make a gift of any kind to this endowment.

 

Make a one-time gift to this endowment through our Hope Equity website.

Make a gift in honor of a special occasion by sending someone an honor card through our Hope Equity website.

Make a gift in memory of a friend or relative through our Hope Equity website.

 

Memorials

The following individuals have been memorialized through a gift to Heifer Foundation and the Danforth Fellowship Alumni Endowment and the Earl A. Sindecuse Memorial Fund (listed alphabetically by last name). These individuals exemplified the life values of William Danforth, and in their own lives demonstrated the same commitment to youth as did Earl Sindecuse. Included in this list may be deceased Danforth Fellows from 1957 and other years as well.

Kenneth Conly | View Bio | Make a gift

Kenneth Conly (1937-1976) was a member of the 1957 Danforth Summer Fellowship class, representing Louisiana State University. His widow, Pat Conly, has written these words about Ken's abbreviated life and career: "In May, 1958, Kenneth graduated from LSU with honors, as outstanding senior in the College of Agriculture. That same year he and I were married and moved to the country, where Ken went into partnership with his father in the beef cattle and dairy business. Ken was the kind, proud and loving father of a daughter, Lisa, and a son, Kenneth Jr. Ken was interested in nearly everything, and as a result he always had a book close at hand. He was active in a number of agricultural and civic organizations. Ken died in 1976, at age 39. While his life was far and away too short and not without problems, on the whole he lived a happy, contented and successful life."
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Leonard C. Grubel | View Bio | Make a gift

Leonard C. Grubel (1913-1977) was born and raised on a small dairy farm in central New York state. Educated at Cornell University (BS, MS), he pursued a career as a high school Vocational Agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America advisor. His mentoring of young farmers and farmers' sons was never confined to the classroom; he was a frequent visitor to their farms and advisor in all aspects of their operations. During WWII Leonard served in the US Army Airforce as a meteorologist, which became one of his lifelong interests. In 1948 he married the Home Economics teacher at his high school, Margaret E. Johnson (daughter of S. Guy and Elsie P. Johnson) who is his survivor, along with three children (Robert, Betsey and Cynthia) and six granddaughters.
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S. Guy and Elsie P. Johnson | View Bio | Make a gift

S. Guy and Elsie P. Johnson were the parents of William L. Johnson ("Bill"), 1957 Danforth Summer Fellow. Guy Johnson (1890-1977) was the first dairy farmer in SW New Hampshire to have a four-year college degree (UNH'16). He married Elsie Prentice (1894-1965) the same year, and took over the Jersey dairy herd from his father, William E. Johnson. Guy made ice cream from the Jersey cream; he and Elsie sold their product by the cone at an on-site roadside stand. They also sold raw (and later, pasteurized) milk to retail customers in town; during the flood of 1936, they delivered bottles of milk to their customers by row-boat. Guy always welcomed young people as summer or after-school helpers with the farm chores and retail milk delivery. Elsie, meanwhile, was active as a local School Board member and chair, and assumed leadership for starting the first "hot lunch" program in the local school. Both were active in their church, Guy as a tenor in the choir and Deacon, Elsie as a lay leader of women's groups. Both took a keen interest in the lives and work of such pioneers as Albert Schweitzer, Frank Laubach and others--- including the early programs of the Heifer Project, as it was then known. They are survived by their children (Stephen, Margaret, Mary and Bill), 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
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Elmer L. Johnson | View Bio | Make a gift

Elmer L. Johnson (1920-1998), a nephew and neighbor of S. Guy Johnson, was recognized worldwide for his unique Polled Brown Swiss dairy herd in SW New Hampshire. Elmer regularly donated Brown Swiss heifers to the Heifer Project, as it was then known, for overseas shipment. Like his grandfather, William E. Johnson, Elmer took a keen interest in politics and local government, serving for 40 consecutive years as Moderator for the Annual Town and School meetings as well as other local offices. For 20 years he was a delegate to the New Hampshire legislature, where he introduced the bill which led to "current use" tax discount status for agricultural and forested land. A confirmed lifetime bachelor, Elmer was well known for his spontaneous recitations of poetry. He also was a regular caller for local square dances. Although his formal education stopped upon graduating from high school, he was an avid reader of Hoard's Dairyman and other farm magazines through which he kept up with the latest farm practices. He was an active member of Future Farmers of America at local, state and national level, rising to the office of National Vice President and speaker at national and international forums. In 1955 Elmer was named Outstanding Young Farmer of New Hampshire.
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If you would like to make a gift in memory of someone and have their name appear on this list, follow one of the links above to make your gift. Then send an email to info@heiferfoundation.org to request that the person whose life you are honoring be included in the above list. Please also include a brief (no more than 4-5 sentences) memorial statement describing the person you are honoring.

If you would prefer to make your gift by mail, please send it to the address at the bottom of this page. Include with your gift a note to indicate your permission to have the person you are honoring listed on this page. Please also include a brief (no more than 4-5 sentences) memorial statement describing the person you are honoring.