Ronald Ray Wood
Avondale - Maricopa County
Inducted in 2008
Stewardship is a recurring theme throughout this history. Agriculturalists have always viewed themselves as land stewards, not just owners. This concept requires the steward to use the land wisely and productively today to ensure its presence and use in the future. Stewardship is dynamic, not static.
Ronald Ray Wood is the embodiment of the "good steward." Whether it involved the family dairy, his management of the 12,000-acre Marionette ranch for the Boswells (now Sun City), or his ranch parcel in Goodyear, good stewardship was uppermost in his mind.
This concept was so ingrained in him that he took it further. He saw an opportunity to become a steward of the Aqua Fria Union High School District, ran for election to the board, and served for thirty-six years. Two monuments are testaments to his good stewardship: the Agua Fria High School football stadium and the District's administration building—both carry his name. During his 91-year lifetime, Ronald made a lasting impression on his community, his chosen profession, and the lives of the young people to whom he dedicated 36 years as a member of the Agua Fria Union High School District's Governing Board.
Born in Chandler six months before Arizona became a state, Ronald was a second-generation resident of the East Valley community. He grew up helping his father and grandfather feed and milk the cows and perform other chores on the family farm. Life in the Wood household was always exciting. When he was 11 years old, Ronald's father heard about the new copper mining town of Swansea southeast of Parker. Knowing that the new community would need fresh milk and cream, he packed up his family and dairy herd and headed for Swansea. Young Ronald was responsible for herding the family's 20 cows onto the newly constructed railroad and delivering them to Swansea. Life was good for the family during the short time the mine was operating. Ronald settled into helping with the farm chores and attending the community's only school for the next three years.
In a letter to Bob Hirsch, editor of Outdoor Arizona, in 1989, Ronald described his school days. "I went to school in a little one-room building, first through eighth grade, all in one room. We had only 23 pupils and a teacher named Miss Williams, and she knew how to teach. I learned enough from her teaching to skip two grades when we returned to Chandler." Life at the dairy was difficult, but Ronald often recalled that those years were among his most treasured memories.
In 1926, the mine began experiencing trouble with the water table and was forced to close down, leaving Swansea to become a ghost town. The family sold off their herd and moved back to the farm in Chandler, where Ronald resumed his life, helping his father and grandfather with the chores. His one extracurricular activity was playing basketball on the Chandler High School varsity team.
As schoolmates and good friends, he and Eddie Basha Sr. continuously challenged each other to be the most successful businessman.
In 1931, Ronald met his future wife, Jewel Moses. Ronald's grandfather, the Justice of the Peace in Chandler, officiated at their wedding. In 1933, the young couple moved to Litchfield Park, and Ronald went to work for J.G. Boswell Cotton Company in the cottonseed oil processing division. A good work ethic, hard work, and a talent for farming were recovered in the company's management. He was soon offered the ranch manager position of their 12,000-acre Marionette Ranch. The ranch eventually became Sun City.
His managerial duties put him in direct contact with Colonel and Major Boswell regarding ranch decisions. They were impressed with the young man and recognized his desire to own his ranch. In 1936, J.G. Boswell located a half section of partially developed land and told young Ronald that he would co-sign a loan to purchase the property. After years of managing both the Marionette Ranch and the Goodyear property, Ronald and Jewel decided to build a home on their ranch where they could raise their three children: Kenneth, Clarence "Pug" and Margaret.
Ronald Wood gained a reputation for hard work and his successful farming practices. He was one of the first cotton growers in Arizona to recognize the potential of the short-season cotton variety. He successfully grew a wheat crop and harvested 7,000 pounds of the grain per acre, then turned around and used the same land to plant cotton, something that had not been done in the past.
By now, as an established farmer, Ronald wanted to give back to the community. When Agua Fria Union High School was built, he ran for and won a seat on the Governing Board, a position he held for the next 36 years; during that time, he frequently donated his time, advice, equipment, and financial support to help the school's agriculture programs. In 1987, Ronald and Jewel donated a football field press box to the District. The couple also provided an annual scholarship to a deserving high school senior.
His years of community involvement were noticed. The Coldwater Kiwanis Club named him their Citizen of the Year. In 19A86, he was named Arizona State Agribusinessman of the Year by the State Department of Education.
In 1986, the Avondale, Goodyear, and Litchfield Park Chamber of Commerce named Ronald Grand Marshal of the Billy Moore Days parade. In 1988, he was honored in Kansas City at the FFA National Convention, receiving the Honorary American Farmer Degree, the highest award presented by the FFA. The Agua Fria Union High School District has recognized him by having the Agua Fria High School Football stadium and the District's new administration building named in his honor.
Affiliations
Agua Fria Union High School District Governing Board — Member and Past President (1956 - 1997)
