Itle Named 2005 Distinguished Dairy Science Alumnus

Charles Itle of Newville, Pennsylvania has been selected by the Penn State Department of Dairy and Animal Science to receive the 2005 Dairy Science Distinguished Alumnus Award. Itle, retired in 2004 after more than a dozen years with the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service and thirty years as manager of livestock events at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Itle’s Extension work from 1961 to 1974 was principally with the dairy and youth programs in Crawford and Centre counties. In 1974 he joined the Farm Show team and was responsible for the animal exhibits at the All-American Dairy Show each September, the Keystone International Livestock Exposition shortly afterwards, and the Pennsylvania Farm Show held each January. By the time he retired, it all added up to 30 All-American shows, 30 Keystone Livestock events and 29 Farm Shows.

Itle grew up near Loretto, Cambria County, on a dairy and livestock farm that also had a retail milk route. One of his initial work experiences each day after school was to examine the bottles that had been returned to the dairy and to discard any that had been chipped or cracked. He attended St. Francis College for a year and then transferred to Penn State majoring in dairy management. After graduation in 1960, he worked with the Crawford County Extension Service before returning to Penn State for graduate study in 1968. He was a member of the Centre County Extension staff from 1969 to 1974 until he joined the staff at the Farm Show Complex

Weather has sometimes caused major problems for show manager Itle. The hurricane caused-flood at the 1975 All-American Dairy Show forced the cancellation of the last day of the event. Charlie coordinated efforts to remove 1500 head of cattle from the barns and relocate them across the street to the Harrisburg hospital grounds. All animals were moved safely even though some had been housed in areas that were covered with as much as two feet of water. A second challenge was the blizzard that shut down many events on Monday of the 1996 Farm Show. He coordinated the work crews that helped the show return to its normal routine, and the rest of the week’s activities were completed without serious disruption.

Itle assisted with other shows and events that are routinely held at the facility. Many involved 4-H and Vocational Agriculture competitions that are a part of the livestock shows. Chief among them is the Pennsylvania 4-H dairy show that usually involves some 600 young people. He was also an advisor to sponsoring organizations and to the many volunteers that plan and carry out the competition.

His Farm Show coworkers honored him after more than two decades of service to the Commonwealth. The citation read: “He is to be commended for the leadership he displays in the operation of the Show Management Division. From the beginning, he has been instrumental in implementing progressive changes that are vital to the successful operation of the dairy and livestock shows as well as the processing of entries for the Farm Show.”

He received the Penn State Dairymen’s Club Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and was recently named to the Pennsylvania Livestock Association’s Hall of Fame. Those who have worked with him over the years are grateful for his diligence in solving the problems that are inherent in the processing of entries and the running of the shows that involve many hundreds of people and thousands of exhibits. His behind-the-scenes work in organizing events, coordinating the work of the many volunteers, and showing the leadership that is required to bring everything to a successful conclusion made him a key individual in all of the agricultural events that were held at the Farm Show Complex for a thirty-year period.

Charlie is still very much in touch with Farm Show activities and has assisted with the most recent shows. He is also chair of the Dairy Antiques and Collectibles show held during the All-American Dairy competitions. Charlie was a 4-H club leader for many years and has always actively supported his church. He enjoys hunting, gardening, and family get-togethers with his five children and seven grandchildren.