The farm depression of the 1980s was a grim time for all of U.S. agriculture, but in 1982 there was optimism at the U.S. Grains Council, largely due to the personal efforts of Chairman Bob Book.
Book, who passed away Dec. 9 in Carmel, Indiana, “was an ardent supporter of the Council and of grain exports,” remembers Owen Newlin, the Council’s 1979 chairman.
“He was quite an outgoing person, and very dedicated. That was about the time we started the Nanjing feed mill project in China to supply premix nutrients. It gave a big boost to their hog production, and they built a lot of similar plants.”
“Bob was an enthusiastic supporter of the project and a real advocate for exports,” Newlin says.
Richard Krajeck, retired Council vice president, saw Book as a very strong leader.
“He was instrumental in starting the Council on long-range market planning and was key to strengthening the staff by adding the position Allen Terhaar first filled,” says Krajeck.
“He was a no-nonsense, stay-on-task leader but incredibly warm-hearted.”
Krajeck also remembers him as a great fundraiser and as a leader who helped increase producer participation.
Thurman Gaskill, who preceded Book as chairman, has a similar memory.
“This was the time when the Council was so involved in helping us get state corn checkoffs established. Bob was always willing to help us achieve our goals and he worked very hard as chairman.
“As a producer, I really enjoyed the chance to exchange knowledge with him,” says Gaskill. “I really thought a lot of Bob.”
Book represented Elanco Products Company, a division of Eli Lilly Company, on the Grains Council board. He retired from Elanco in 1983 as group vice president of agricultural marketing and then served as the first president of The Indiana Institute of Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition, Inc., until 1992.
Book is survived by his wife Jeanne, three children, five grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Memorials may be made to the Purdue Foundation, the Book-Harmon Leadership Forum, the St. Vincent Health Foundation, the Life Raft Group, the Arsenal Technical High School Alumni Association, or the Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA.