By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

PHOENIX, Ariz.— A bit before his time, the late Fred Johnson began to realize an urgent need for the industry to focus on delivering a consistent, high-quality eating experience to consumers. He was among the visionaries who conceived the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) brand, and now, the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) has honored Johnson by awarding the inaugural $2,000 scholarship bearing his name.

Brandon Carlson, a Ph.D. candidate in the department of animal sciences at Colorado State University was recently awarded the scholarship at the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. Carlson received his associate degree in animal science from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo., before completing both his bachelor and master of science degrees at Colorado State.

Carlson is currently studying meat science with an emphasis in food-safety design and intervention strategies to reduce the level of microbiological contamination in cattle and the probability of food-borne disease. His family has been in the cattle industry for four generations in Byers, Colo.

“It is a great pleasure to recognize Mr. Carlson for his educational endeavors and commitment to the beef industry,” stated Fred H. (Sam) Johnson III, president of Summitcrest Performance Angus, who presented the award in memory of his father.

As its first chairman of the Certified Angus Beef board from 1978-84, Johnson’s vision, integrity and business savvy helped establish the organization’s sound structure. His leadership led to its current status as the number one branded, fresh beef program in the world with sales of 633 million pounds in 2008 and more than 32 million Angus-type cattle marketed since the brand began.

Johnson began his 63 years of livestock breeding with dairy cattle in 1936 and beef cattle in 1949. With his belief in total performance in producing Angus seedstock, Johnson led Summitcrest Farms to become a brand recognized around the world. He keyed in on customer satisfaction before it became the “watch word” of the industry. He was a steward of his livestock and his land, carefully tending each to produce the best possible result, with the long-standing farm motto of “Improve the Land, Improve the Breed.”

It was in the mid-70s, that he was instrumental in envisioning and developing what would become the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Program. Johnson’s unwavering support and dedication as this organization’s first chairman led it to become the most successful branded beef program in the world.

Johnson’s work with the Beef Promotion and Research Board was just as powerful, serving as its first treasurer and third chairman. He was a director of the American Angus Association, president of the Ohio Angus Association and chairman of the Ohio Beef Council.  Johnson was also the 337th person to have his portrait hung in the Saddle and Sirloin Club Portrait Gallery in Louisville, Ky. in 1999.
“We are very pleased to honor the late Fred Johnson and his life’s work in the beef industry, while assisting young people who exemplify his drive and vision,” said Bob Josserand, chairman of the NCF Board of Trustees.

Born in Pennsylvania, Johnson earned a purple heart serving his country during World War II. He then spent 51 years in the family business, the Summitville Brick Company later to be Summitville Tiles, where he retired as chairman in 1983. He has been active in state and local government, including chairman of the Ohio Exposition Commission. While serving as chairman of the local bank, it grew 1,100 percent in 11 years.

In 1989, he was inducted into the American Angus Heritage Foundation and Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Betty, accepted the Livestock Publication Council’s Headliner Award in 1989. They earned Seedstock Producer of the Year honors from the Beef Improvement Federation in 1991 and from the CAB Program in 1992. In 1998, the Johnson family farm was named NCBA’s Cattle Business of the Century, Region I.