New Purdue President Touts Agriculture at Alumni Fish Fry

As Governor, Mitch Daniels was known as one of the most pro-agriculture governors in the nation. In his remarks at the Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry, he said will continue to promote agriculture as Purdue’s new President, “We aspire to a Purdue that rises to even greater levels of excellence, contribution, engagement, and world renown. There is no question that in the circle of the things in which we invest, agriculture will be there, in the first rank.” Daniels, who got a standing ovation when he entered the room, promised strong support for the work of the college of agriculture at Purdue.  He thanked the ag alumni for their support for said his focus is on the future, “For all of us at Purdue, it is about tomorrow and how Purdue’s world reputation in agriculture can become even stronger.”

 

 

This year’s Fish Fry, held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds over the weekend, saw a number of firsts including the appearance of Indiana’s newest Senator and member of the Senate Ag Committee Joe Donnelly.  He called on the more than 2,000 Purdue alum to help him with a new Farm Bill, “I need you held in crafting a new Farm Bill because there is so much more wisdom in Indiana than there is in Washington.”   Indiana Congressman Todd Rokita, whose district covers West Lafayette, called himself Purdue’s Congressman, “I truly believe that agriculture and Purdue University can solve most of our nation’s problems.”

 

Other firsts at the event included the appearance of the Purdue Big Bass Drum. Indiana’s Lt Governor Sue Ellspermann, making her first appearance at  the annual event as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture, scored a personal first as she was allowed to strike the big drum which boomed across the Blue Ribbon Pavilion.  “When I marched in the Purdue band as a student, they wouldn’t let me hit the drum,” she laughed.   No stranger to the Fish Fry was former Lt. Governor Becky Skillman who was awarded with a lifetime ticket to the event so she can always be at the event.

 

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