Everett Rhodes

Inducted in 2019

Jan 1

Casa Grande - Pinal County

Inducted in 2019

Everett Rhodes is a retired agriculture educator whose family came to Arizona from Oklahoma in 1941. Born in Arizona, his father was a farm manager. As a boy he grew up on farms in central Pinal County, mainly in the Casa Grande and Coolidge areas. It was an Ag teacher at his high school in Coolidge that inspired him to become an agriculture educator.

As a native Arizonan, he attended elementary school in Florence and high school in Coolidge. He went on to graduate from the University of Arizona where he received his Bachelor’s degree in 1971 and Master’s degree in agricultural education in 1985.

In 1971 Everett and his high school sweetheart, Linda Briscoe, exchanged wedding vows. She is also in the educational field, having taught school for more than 44 years.

Everett did his student teaching a Dysart High School when the West Valley was much more rural than it is today. After student teaching he was called up for military service. He remembers, “I was engaged to get married and I was anxious to put my new teaching certificate to work. I chose to join the Army National Guard.”

By the time he came back from active duty with the Guard in 1972 it was the middle of the school year and there were very few jobs available. Luckily Casa Grande High School was looking for an Ag teacher and he was hired. Everett worked with the FFA program at the school from 1972 through 1986. He and Linda were living in Tucson at the time because Linda was teaching school there. Everett spent much of his time on the highway, commuting between Tucson and Casa Grande for the first six months. The Rhodes moved to Casa Grande in 1972 as soon as the school year ended.

From 1986 to 1997 Everett worked with the 4-H Youth Program. After nearly 15 years he took a job as the 4-H Youth Development Agent for the University of Arizona and stayed in the position for twelve years. Before leaving his high school post Everett participated in Project CENTRL, a rural leadership program. Ten years after graduating from Class 3 in 1987 he became the director of the program. He stayed with Project CENTRL until 2013 when he left to return to his former position as an Agricultural Extension Agent. He retired from that position in 2015.

Since his retirement Everett Rhodes has volunteered with the U of A’s Master Gardeners Program.