Jim Humphreys
Encyclopedia
James O'Neill Humphreys, Sr., usually known as Jim Humphreys (February 28, 1921 – June 9, 2007), was a prominent Texas
rancher and the former board chairman of the National Ranching Heritage Center
, an entity of Texas Tech University
in Lubbock
. For some two decades, he was the manager of the large Pitchfork Ranch
, with headquarters near Guthrie
, the seat of King County, located east of Lubbock on the Texas South Plains
. According to author
Lawrence Clayton in Historic Ranches of Texas, Humphreys "came to be considered one of the major figures in Texas agriculture
before his retirement from active management in 1986."
Humphreys was born in Kansas City, Missouri
, to the late T.J. and Edna Humphreys. In 1940, he launched his studies at Texas Tech but was sidelined by service in the United States Army Medical Corps during World War II
. He served with the 34th Infantry Division in Great Britain
, North Africa
, and Italy
.
In 1947, he earned his bachelor of science
degree in animal husbandry
. After graduation, he joined the staff of Interstate National Bank
in Kansas City but soon returned to the South Plains in 1948 to work at the Pitchfork. He was hired by manager Douglas Burns (1895–1977) as the assistant in charge of hog
operations. He soon mastered ranch operations and became the sixth manager of the Pitchfork when Burns retired to Lubbock but continued to advise the ranch as a director of the parent company. On June 9, 1951, he wed the former Berneice Anderson in Creighton, Missouri
.
As ranch manager, Humphreys supervised the operation of some 165000 acres (667.7 km²) and 113 windmill
s in King and adjacent Dickens counties. According to the ranch website
, Pitchfork cowboys are known for the quality of their horse
s. The signature "Pitchfork Gray" -- a gray horse with a black mane and tail—is synonymous with the ranch. The Pitchfork maintains a satellite operation in Jefferson County
in southern Oklahoma
. The previous Flint Hills Ranch near Eskridge
in Wabaunsee County
in northeastern Kansas
, and the Flag Ranch in Wyoming
have been sold. The Pitchfork Ranch has become a diversified agricultural business. There have been major petroleum
finds in the Tannehill sands area. The Pitchfork offers guided hunting
for deer
, game birds, boar
, and other game. Farming has been expanded in recent years to increase winter grazing and grain production. The ranch has some 4,500 mother cattle.
Humphreys served on the board of directors of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
and the National Cattleman's Association. He was similarly active in the American Quarter Horse Association
, based in Amarillo
in the Texas Panhandle
, having served on the association's public information and education committee.; From 1977-1980, Humphreys was the board chairman of the Ranching Heritage Center, which operates a highly acclaimed outdoor museum
of western and ranch structures on the Texas Tech campus, open free to the public. In 2005, Humphreys, along with Giles C. McCrary
of Post
, the seat of Garza County
, was among five individuals presented with the Ranching Heritage Association "Founders Award".
In 1970, Humphreys received the Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding Agriculturist Award. He was further honored by the American Hereford
Association, the Texas Hereford Association, and the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
in Fort Worth
. In 1990, the National Hereford Show was named in his honor. The Southwestern Exposition named Humphreys an honorary vice president in 2006-2007.
When Humphreys retired from the ranch, he relocated to Lubbock. Bob Moorhouse (born in Texas in 1947) became the new manager and held the position until his retirement in 2007. Moorhouse is also known for his ranch photography
.
In addition to his wife, Humphreys was survived by a son, James "Jimbo" Humphreys, Jr., of Dickens, a rancher who has been active in the National Cowboy Symposium, and his wife, Winona; three daughters, LeAnn Lawson of Lubbock, Jane Penman of New Braunfels
north of San Antonio
, and Jean Trull and husband, Clifford, of Crosbyton
in west Texas; a sister, Ann Blessing of Lexington, Kentucky
; ten grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Humphreys was preceded in death by his son-in-law
, Randy Michael Lawson, a Lubbock stockbroker who was murder
ed in 1994.
Services were held on June 11, 2007, at the First Baptist
Church of Lubbock, where Humphreys was a deacon
. Interment was in Resthaven Memorial Park in Lubbock.
Humphrey's grandson, Matthew Humphreys (born ca. 1982), who grew up in Dickens, has established a spur- and bit- making shop in Lubbock. Like his grandfather, he holds a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry from Texas Tech but learned his craft primarily by watching his father, James Humphreys, Jr., when he was the manager of Guitar Ranches at Spur
. The younger Humphreys also makes western trophies.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
rancher and the former board chairman of the National Ranching Heritage Center
National Ranching Heritage Center
The National Ranching Heritage Center, a museum of ranching history, is located on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It features almost fifty authentic ranch buildings dating from the late 18th to the mid-20th century...
, an entity of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. For some two decades, he was the manager of the large Pitchfork Ranch
Pitchfork Ranch
The Pitchfork Ranch, established in 1883, encompasses some in Dickens and King counties in West Texas, in the United States, with an annex in Jefferson County in southern Oklahoma. Previous properties in Kansas and Wyoming have been since sold....
, with headquarters near Guthrie
Guthrie, Texas
Guthrie is a Census Designated Place in King County in the U.S. state of Texas. It lies at the junction of U.S. Routes 82 and 83 ninety-six miles east of Lubbock, and serves as the principal headquarters of the Four Sixes Ranch...
, the seat of King County, located east of Lubbock on the Texas South Plains
South Plains
South Plains is a vernacular term that refers to a region in West Texas consisting of the portion of the Llano Estacado extending south of the Texas Panhandle, centered at Lubbock. While prominent in the area of petroleum production, the South Plains is mainly an agricultural region, producing a...
. According to author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Lawrence Clayton in Historic Ranches of Texas, Humphreys "came to be considered one of the major figures in Texas agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
before his retirement from active management in 1986."
Humphreys was born in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, to the late T.J. and Edna Humphreys. In 1940, he launched his studies at Texas Tech but was sidelined by service in the United States Army Medical Corps during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served with the 34th Infantry Division in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In 1947, he earned his bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
. After graduation, he joined the staff of Interstate National Bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
in Kansas City but soon returned to the South Plains in 1948 to work at the Pitchfork. He was hired by manager Douglas Burns (1895–1977) as the assistant in charge of hog
Domestic pig
The domestic pig is a domesticated animal that traces its ancestry to the wild boar, and is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species in its own right. It is likely the wild boar was domesticated as early as 13,000 BC in the Tigris River basin...
operations. He soon mastered ranch operations and became the sixth manager of the Pitchfork when Burns retired to Lubbock but continued to advise the ranch as a director of the parent company. On June 9, 1951, he wed the former Berneice Anderson in Creighton, Missouri
Creighton, Missouri
Creighton is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 322 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Creighton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
.
As ranch manager, Humphreys supervised the operation of some 165000 acres (667.7 km²) and 113 windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s in King and adjacent Dickens counties. According to the ranch website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
, Pitchfork cowboys are known for the quality of their horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. The signature "Pitchfork Gray" -- a gray horse with a black mane and tail—is synonymous with the ranch. The Pitchfork maintains a satellite operation in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Oklahoma
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 6,818. Its county seat is Waurika.-Geography:...
in southern Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The previous Flint Hills Ranch near Eskridge
Eskridge, Kansas
Eskridge is a city in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, United States. The population was 589 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Wabaunsee County
Wabaunsee County, Kansas
Wabaunsee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,053. Its county seat is Alma. It is part of the Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in northeastern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and the Flag Ranch in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
have been sold. The Pitchfork Ranch has become a diversified agricultural business. There have been major petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
finds in the Tannehill sands area. The Pitchfork offers guided hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
for deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, game birds, boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
, and other game. Farming has been expanded in recent years to increase winter grazing and grain production. The ranch has some 4,500 mother cattle.
Humphreys served on the board of directors of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was created in 1877, when 40 Texas cattlemen joined together out of their common interest to end unbridled livestock theft and formed what was to become Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association....
and the National Cattleman's Association. He was similarly active in the American Quarter Horse Association
American Quarter Horse Association
The American Quarter Horse Association , based in Amarillo, Texas, is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse. The association sanctions many competitive events and maintains the official registry...
, based in Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
, having served on the association's public information and education committee.; From 1977-1980, Humphreys was the board chairman of the Ranching Heritage Center, which operates a highly acclaimed outdoor museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of western and ranch structures on the Texas Tech campus, open free to the public. In 2005, Humphreys, along with Giles C. McCrary
Giles McCrary
Giles Connell McCrary, Sr. , was a self-employed oil operator, investor, art collector, rancher, and the owner of the OS Museum in Post, the seat of Garza County, southeast of Lubbock on the Texas South Plains....
of Post
Post, Texas
Post is a city in and the county seat of Garza County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,708 at the 2000 census.There are many ranchers and civic boosters in Garza County, among them Giles McCrary, a former mayor who operates the OS Museum, a hybrid of exhibits from both the American West...
, the seat of Garza County
Garza County, Texas
Garza County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas southeast of Lubbock. In 2000, its population was 4,872. Its county seat is Post. Garza is named for a pioneer Bexar County family, as it was once a part of that county....
, was among five individuals presented with the Ranching Heritage Association "Founders Award".
In 1970, Humphreys received the Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding Agriculturist Award. He was further honored by the American Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
Association, the Texas Hereford Association, and the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show
The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continual running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896. In 1918, the Stock Show held the world's first indoor rodeo, and in subsequent...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. In 1990, the National Hereford Show was named in his honor. The Southwestern Exposition named Humphreys an honorary vice president in 2006-2007.
When Humphreys retired from the ranch, he relocated to Lubbock. Bob Moorhouse (born in Texas in 1947) became the new manager and held the position until his retirement in 2007. Moorhouse is also known for his ranch photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
.
In addition to his wife, Humphreys was survived by a son, James "Jimbo" Humphreys, Jr., of Dickens, a rancher who has been active in the National Cowboy Symposium, and his wife, Winona; three daughters, LeAnn Lawson of Lubbock, Jane Penman of New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
north of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and Jean Trull and husband, Clifford, of Crosbyton
Crosbyton, Texas
Crosbyton is a city in and the county seat of Crosby County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,874 at the 2000 census. Crosbyton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in west Texas; a sister, Ann Blessing of Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
; ten grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Humphreys was preceded in death by his son-in-law
Son-in-Law
Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
, Randy Michael Lawson, a Lubbock stockbroker who was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed in 1994.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church of Lubbock, where Humphreys was a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
. Interment was in Resthaven Memorial Park in Lubbock.
Humphrey's grandson, Matthew Humphreys (born ca. 1982), who grew up in Dickens, has established a spur- and bit- making shop in Lubbock. Like his grandfather, he holds a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry from Texas Tech but learned his craft primarily by watching his father, James Humphreys, Jr., when he was the manager of Guitar Ranches at Spur
Spur, Texas
Spur is a city in Dickens County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,088.On October 9, 2009, Spur celebrated its centennial with the dedication of a Giant Spur sculpture. The Giant Spur was built by local welder John Grusendorf. The event, sponsored...
. The younger Humphreys also makes western trophies.