Gene Dunham, Southwest Dairy Museum pioneer, retires

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Gene Dunham, (left in hat), talks with Calvin Prince during the recent retirement reception. Prince was on the Hopkins County Commissioner's Court when the orginal bond for the musuem was approved. Dunham expressed his thoughts on one of the gifts he was presented at the reception: "The employees put together an album of pictures, each one wrote something to me about work and what we'd been able to do. That was my most important gift and one that I'll always treasure." -- Photo courtesy of Southwest Dairy Museum

July 14, 2005 - Gene Dunham has spent his last 23 years establishing and working with the Southwest Dairy Museum in Hopkins County.

On June 25, a reception was held in his honor as he stepped down as the museum's president and general manager.

During the early 1980s, Dunham served as the Federal Milk Market Administrator for North Texas. He began working with Phil Porter to develop a museum devoted to the dairy industry of the region. Porter named Dunham president of the corporation responsible for establishing the museum.

Dunham spent countless hours seeking bonds and donations to fund the museum. In addition, he was involved in the development of the mobile dairy classrooms.

At the reception, Porter spoke of the lives Dunham has touched. "Gene can and should be deeply proud that this work has given more meaning to his life than almost any other thing he could have done," said Porter. "Young children all over the Southwest will have healthier, stronger bodies and better lives than they would if it were not for the dedicated and creative work of Gene Dunham."

Dunham not only helped establish the Southwest Dairy Museum, he has worked with various groups in several other states, all in the name of dairy.

In 2004, Dunham and members of the Southwest Dairy Museum's board of directors traveled to Indiana to tour a new dairy museum.

Porter recalled the end of the tour. The group was taken to the front of the building where a cast bronze image of the person the building was named after stood.

"It was the Gene Dunham Building," said Porter. "In honor of all the help, ideas, and support Gene had given them in the development and design of their dairy museum."

More than 100 people attended the June 25 reception at the Southwest Dairy Museum. Guests from around the country gathered to pay tribute to a friend and colleague.

The museum provided Dunham with some large parting gifts, including two Jersey cows. In addition, that very morning, the board had voted to dedicate the Southwest Dairy Museum in honor of Gene Dunham and his wife, Dorothy.

Porter went on to praise his colleague. "Untold numbers of people may not know and never have heard of Dunham, but he can retire and take pleasure in the knowledge that his life has had meaning and significance in making the world a better place."