In Remembrance, Fall 2022
Dennis Dugan
Dennis Dugan, a prominent Casa Grande dairy farmer and impactful community leader, passed away in July. Dennis was instrumental in starting Pinal 40, which supports youth with education and agriculture. Most recently, he was on the Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission.
Dennis graduated in 1972 with a B.S. in agricultural education. He was a member of The President’s Club and the Ag 100 Council. The Dugan family supported recent renovations at the Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences building, establishing the Dugan Family Advising Center and the Dugan Family Business Office. The space offers students the support and amenities needed to pave the way for their college careers and beyond.
Dennis was a friend to all, including those of us at CALES. His loss is deeply felt by our community. We send our deepest condolences to the Dugan family.
Kevin G. Rogers
Kevin Rogers, advocate for Arizona agriculture and the cotton industry, passed away in April. A fourth-generation Arizona farmer, Kevin partnered with his wife Janel, his parents, brothers, and sister to operate the Rogers Family Farm in the Phoenix area with over 7,000 acres of crops, including alfalfa, wheat, barley, and corn.
Rogers was most recently executive vice president for the Arizona Cotton Growers Association. He served as state president of the Arizona Farm Bureau for 14 years and was an active member for over 35 years. He was a graduate of the Arizona Center for Rural Leadership and was involved in FFA, 4-H, the Arizona National Livestock Show and Arizona Pork Council. He also served on the USDA Air Quality Task Force.
Kevin attended the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences and was a member of the Ag 100 Council and The President’s Club. He will be missed by all who knew him and were impacted by his work. CALES sends our deepest condolences to his family, wife Janel, and children, Taylor, Kevin and Morgan.
Gordon Graham
Gordon Graham passed away, among loved ones, in July at age 98.
Gordon earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue University and had a passion for education. He had a distinguished career as an editor, communications director, and professor in the College of Agriculture at the University of Wyoming and the University of Arizona, where he spent 40 years. As a Wildcat, Gordon presented scientific work to Arizona families through weekly radio broadcasts, television and newspaper articles, and presentations. He may be best known as the founding editor of the Agri-News compendium, now called CALES Life, and was instrumental in establishing annual Homecoming Day breakfast festivities, now called the Dean’s “Almost World-Famous” Burrito Breakfast. In 2006, Gordon received the CALES Lifetime Achievement Award.
We honor and remember Gordon’s legacy and contributions to CALES and send our deepest condolences to his wife Nancy and his family.