Jerry Cullison

Inducted in 2018

Jan 1

Welton - Yuma County

Inducted in 2018

Jerry W. Cullison has never wanted to pursue any career other than that of a farmer. He credits his love of agriculture to his father, Joseph Ralph “JR” Cullison, who was one of the most highly recognized agricultural teachers in Arizona.

After coming to Arizona from his native Illinois, the elder Cullison taught vocational agriculture in Tolleson, then moved on to the University of Arizona where he taught agricultural education from 1938-1946. He later joined the Department of Education and served in several capacities, among them State Supervisor of Agricultural Education. That position made him the state FFA advisor and State Director for Vocational Agriculture. He set the bar high, but Jerry was up to the challenge.

The younger Cullison graduated from the University of Arizona with distinction in 1959 and went to the Welton-Mohawk Valley in Yuma County to farm 180 acres of land owned by his parents. That soon grew into 3000 acres of owned and rented land. Always active in the agricultural community he became president of the Yuma Farm Bureau in the 1970s.

A huge supporter of FFA, Jerry says the Future Farmers of America organization was one of the largest influences in his life growing up. After graduating from high school in Phoenix where he grew up, Jerry had the distinction of serving as vice-president of the National FFA organization in 1957-58. During his time at the University of Arizona, Cullison and other national FFA officers were chosen to tour the country by bus and train to meet with CEOs and other executives of major corporations that were FFA sponsors. They lived out of a suitcase for a year while getting an education that money can’t buy. The trip included a trip to the White House and a picture of the officers with then Vice-President Richard Nixon.

Involvement in his community has always been high on Jerry’s priority list. He has been involved with the annual Tractor Rodeo to benefit the Yuma Regional Medical Foundation, on whose board he served for 40 years. Through Cullison Farms he and his family have given one million dollars to the Yuma Regional Medical Center Heart Center. In 2015, Cullison Farms purchased a new ambulance for Tri-Valley Ambulance Service, a non-profit ambulance and rescue service operating in the Welton-Mohawk area.

Jerry was named the Agribusiness Person of the Year by the AZ Vocational Ag Teachers Association in 1987 and received the University of Arizona Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He received the Arizona FFA Foundation’s Inaugural Blue & Gold Award 2017.