Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936)
Andrew Boss
BOSS, ANDREW (1867–1947), inducted 1929
Considered the founder of farm management, Andrew Boss, was born in Wabash County, Minnesota, and enrolled in one of the first classes (1891) at the University of Minnesota College of Agriculture. Upon graduation, he began his work on the research farm there, and by 1905, was elevated to full professor. As professor of animal husbandry, Boss developed the first college course in dressing and curing meats in the nation, and the university built a Meat Science Laboratory in 1901 to further the field. This building was later named in his honor. Professor Boss was a major promoter of livestock shows, especially the International, and was one of the founders of his state’s livestock breeders’ association. Also renowned in agronomy, Boss helped increase corn productivity substantially and worked with Willet Hays to develop the Minnesota 13 cultivar—a high-yield variety used for animal feed, cornmeal and grits, and distilling (it gained underground notoriety as “moonshine corn” during Prohibition).
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 51