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E. C. Larkin: Beefmaster Hall of Fame Honoree and Cattle Magazine Publisher

A 2003 Beefmaster Hall of Fame inductee whose name matches a longtime Gulf Coast Cattleman publisher, though the hall page does not confirm the link.

Who is E. C. Larkin?

The Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame page lists E. C. Larkin in the class of 2003, next to Hans Wittenburg. The page gives no biography, and a photo file name uses the spelling 'Larking', a small inconsistency in the page's files.

One E. C. Larkin has a documented career in cattle media: the publisher of the Gulf Coast Cattleman, who won an award from the Beef Improvement Federation. His record includes a stint at the Beefmaster Cowman, so the match is plausible. The hall page does not confirm it, and this profile treats it as probable only.

The publisher's career

According to the BIF Ambassador Award notice, Larkin is a Texas native who graduated from East Texas State University in 1966 and has worked in livestock communications for about five decades. His past positions include the Polled Hereford World, the Western Livestock Journal and the Beefmaster Cowman.

About ten years after graduating, he bought the Gulf Coast Cattleman and moved it to San Antonio. The magazine has covered the Gulf Coast region since 1935, with readers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Honors outside the hall

Larkin served as president of the Livestock Publications Council in 1984 and 1985 and entered that council's Hall of Fame in 2001. In June 2015, at the Beef Improvement Federation's 47th annual meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi, he received the BIF Ambassador Award, which recognizes media members who spread news of the organization.

The notice describes his editorial approach as common-sense and down-to-earth.

Why It Mattered

Breed associations rely on publishers. A magazine carries sale reports, show results, research and obituaries to members who may live hundreds of miles apart. A hall of fame that includes someone from the media side recognizes that communication is part of how a breed grows.

If the Beefmaster honoree is indeed the publisher, his career, as documented by BIF, shows how a trade journalist can contribute to a breed by chronicling it for decades.

  • Verified: BBU Hall of Fame class of 2003 lists E. C. Larkin.
  • Verified: a publisher named E. C. Larkin worked at the Beefmaster Cowman, among other cattle publications.
  • Not verified: that the two are the same person.
  • Best next step: ask BBU for the 2003 convention program.

The 2003 class

Hans Wittenburg of Edna, Texas, entered the hall the same year. His Legends Award article describes a breeder and John Deere dealer who joined BBU in 1968 and served on its committees until 2015.

Two honorees in one year, one from the show ring and sale barn and one possibly from the press, suggest a hall that values different kinds of contribution.

The breed behind the honor

Tom Lasater developed the Beefmaster in the early 1930s by crossing Hereford and Shorthorn cows with Brahman bulls. The Beefmaster article notes that the USDA first recognized the breed in 1954.

Breeders select for weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardiness and disposition, which they call the Six Essentials.

Learn more

For more cattle media and ranching stories, farm.FM offers ranching features and a farm.FM story about Texas cattle publishing. Readers who can confirm the identity of the 2003 honoree are welcome to help complete this entry.

Timeline

  1. 1935The Gulf Coast Cattleman begins covering the Gulf Coast region
  2. 1966Publisher E. C. Larkin graduates from East Texas State University
  3. 1984Begins a term as Livestock Publications Council president
  4. 2001Enters the Livestock Publications Council Hall of Fame
  5. 2003E. C. Larkin inducted into the BBU Hall of Fame
  6. 2015Publisher receives the BIF Ambassador Award in Biloxi

Frequently asked questions

Who is E. C. Larkin?

E. C. Larkin is a 2003 Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame inductee. A publisher of the same name led the Gulf Coast Cattleman, but the hall page does not confirm they are the same person.

What is the Gulf Coast Cattleman?

It is a magazine covering the Gulf Coast region since 1935, with readers in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. A publisher named E. C. Larkin bought it and moved it to San Antonio.

Who was inducted into the Beefmaster Hall of Fame in 2003?

The BBU roster lists E. C. Larkin and Hans Wittenburg for 2003.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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