JOHN W. HAMBY, JR.

John W. Hamby, Jr. was born in Surry County, NC. His family later moved to Rowan County, where they operated a dairy farm and grew cotton, tobacco and grain. Upon graduating from Mount Ulla High School, Hamby joined the Navy and served his country as a Gunner's Mate in the Pacific during World War II. When he returned from the War, he attended Mars Hill College and later graduated from N. C. State University in 1951 with a degree in Agriculture. While attending NCSU, he was a member of Kappa Phi Kappa Honorary Fraternity, and he served as Vice President of NCSU's Chapter of the Future Farmers of America.

Hamby married the former Mildred Ingram of Statesville, NC, and the couple had two children: Linn Hamby Lopez, now a teacher in the Durham Public Schools System; and Dr. Mike P. Hamby, now a dentist in Fuquay-Varina. John was a devoted grandfather to his beloved grandchildren, John Duncan Hamby and Mary Alexandra Hamby.

John Hamby began his professional career teaching Vocational Agriculture at China Grove High School in Rowan County. He later became a Marketing Specialist in poultry and eggs for the N. C. Department of Agriculture, and he served as an Extension Agent in Cleveland County. Upon accepting a position with Central Carolina Farmers as Manager of Eggs and Livestock Production, Hamby moved with CCF to Durham, NC. There, he later rose to the position of Vice President of Central Carolina Farmers. In 1980, upon the merger of CCF and FCX, Hamby became Vice President of Livestock, Poultry Production, and Marketing for FCX. Until his retirement in 1986, Hamby served as Operations Manager of the North Carolina Division of Gold Kist Eggs.

Throughout his many years of loyal service to the poultry food industry, John Hamby was always looking for new ideas and innovative ways to help refine and improve North Carolina’s egg production and processing. Two of his most significant contributions were the concepts of caged poultry houses and egg pasteurization.

Though much of his life was devoted to agriculture and the poultry food industry, to John, his family and his church always came first. Hamby was a faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC, where he served as an Elder and a Deacon. He also served as Chairman of First Presbyterian Board of Deacons, as Church Treasurer, and as Chairman of the Finance and Every Member Canvass Committees.

Throughout his long years of service to both the poultry food industry and to agriculture, Hamby always gave generously of his time and his talents. A few of the many leadership roles he held include: Member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Poultry 8: Egg Association (now the U. S. Poultry & Egg Association); Chairman of the Egg Advisory Committee for the NY Mercantile Exchange; Chairman of the N. C. Poultry Council; Chairman of the N. C. Egg Marketing Association; President of the N. C. Poultry Federation; Appointment by the U. S. Secretary of Agriculture to four terms on the American Egg Board; President of the North American Poultry Association; Advisory Board Member to Dean Legates at NCSU’s School of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and the 1986 Chairmanship to Dean Bateman’s Advisory ~ Committee at NCSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Hamby also received numerous honors through the years, such as the Commissioner of Agriculture Award in 1983 for outstanding contributions to both the North Carolina Egg Industry and the North Carolina Egg Marketing Association; and an Honorary Membership into NCSU's Gamma Sigma Delta Fraternity in 1986, among others. John's vigor and enthusiasm also enabled him to contribute significantly to many community and civic organizations, such as the Durham Lions Club; the Triangle Community Development Association; the State Vocational Advisory Board; and the UNC Dental School Foundation.

John W. Hamby, ]r. was indeed a lasting and vital part of the growth and development of North Carolina’s entire poultry food industry, and the North Carolina Poultry Federation is pleased to honor his contributions and his memory by inducting him posthumously into the North Carolina Poultry Hall of Fame on this the 20*** day of August, 1999.