Artist: Robert Wadsworth Grafton (1876–1936); original portrait by Arvid Nyholm
William Dempster Hoard
HOARD, WILLIAM DEMPSTER (1836–1918), inducted 1914
Widely considered the father of the Wisconsin dairy industry, William Dempster Hoard’s experience with dairy cattle began as a sixteen-year-old farm hand in his home state of New York. When his career as a music teacher was interrupted by Civil War service, Hoard settled in Wisconsin and began farming. Convinced that dairying would be a more successful enterprise in his new state than growing wheat, he formed one of the first associations in the nation—the Wisconsin State Dairymen’s Association—in 1872. At this time, the state produced about 1,000,000 pounds of cheese. Hoard negotiated with Star Union Line railroad, to transport cheese on refrigerated cars to the Atlantic seaboard, so the state could become a competitive exporter. By 1913, Wisconsin cheese production had exceeded 190,000,000 pounds.
In 1885, William Hoard launched the first national dairy magazine in America, and Hoard’s Dairyman is published to this day. His leadership in agriculture, the state’s dominant industry, contributed to his election as governor of Wisconsin in 1888, for one term. In 1904, he served as president of the state’s commission for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and in 1907, he was elected President of the Board of Regents at the University of Wisconsin. Governor William Hoard’s portrait was the first to be added to the Club at the urging of the dairy industry, with the American Guernsey Cattle Club presenting it in 1914. He was honored by the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1984.
Source: Saddle & Sirloin Guidebook 2026, p. 111