Glenn English

Inducted: 2010

A tireless advocate for rural and small-town America, Glenn English has spent his career championing the cooperative business model and fighting to improve the rural quality of life. While a member of Congress representing western Oklahoma’s 6th Congressional District from 1975-94, he used his position on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and later as chairman of the U.S. House Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development Subcommittee from 1989-94 to protect and improve electric cooperative financing programs, boost agriculture prices and access to farm loans, and eliminate market abuses in commodities futures trading. Since assuming the mantle as the fourth CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in March 1994, English has vigorously defended the nation’s electric cooperatives from assaults on federal Rural Utilities Service financing programs and federal power marketing administrations, as well as actively promoted the “Cooperative Way” as a solution to many of the nation’s problems.

J. K. Smith

Inducted:2003

A visionary cooperative leader for more than 40 years, J.K. Smith always found a cooperative solution to whatever business issue confronted him. He worked diligently to serve the needs of rural people, and consistently embraced cooperation among cooperatives.

He was the first general manager of Fleming-Mason Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation in Kentucky, and founded and served as the first general manager of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, where he created cooperatives ranging from credit unions to supply cooperatives to a data processing cooperative service center. He was also instrumental in the formation of the East Kentucky Power Cooperative, serving as its first Secretary-Treasurer.

Internationally, Smith helped create Ecuador’s first electric cooperative and established a unique program to send used U.S. electrical equipment overseas to help provide electricity.

Smith’s crowning achievement nationally was the founding of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). Not only was he the driving force in creating this entity, but he also served as its first governor and helped shape it into a financial powerhouse for electric cooperatives.

Inducted:2001

David A. Hamil served as REA administrator for a record 14 years under four Presidents. His unwavering dedication to the rural electrification program has been legendary ever since he first got involved in 1939. As REA administrator, Hamil was instrumental in creating the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation as a new funding source for rural electrics. He also got the Federal Financing Bank to become the funding mechanism for REA guaranteed loans. That has saved electric cooperatives and their member-owners many millions of dollars, and it has been an annual source of the billions of dollars needed to finance power supply facilities in rural areas.

Hamil also played a decisive role in the creation and success of the Rural Telephone Bank, and served as its first Governor from 1971 to 1978.

Hamil’s ideas were not always popular within the administrations under which he served. But he fought for what he believed was right for rural America and effectively advocated for the continuation and growth of the REA. The result is rural electrification and telephone service for all of America.

James L. Grahl

Inducted:1995

James L. Grahl has long been a prominent leader in the rural electric sector. Hired in 1962 to manage the newly organized Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Grahl turned it into one of the largest and most respected power co-ops in the United States. As Basin Electric’s general manager, he pioneered innovative energy projects that serve as environmentally sound models for the nation, helped promote cooperative legislation on the state and national levels, and encouraged others to share his strong belief in cooperatives by providing educational programs.

Grahl also encouraged farmers to form agricultural processing co-ops and rural development projects in the Upper-Midwest. He was instrumental in forming the Missouri Basin Power Project, at that time the largest consumer-owned joint action project in the county, and helped organize the nation’s first fuels cooperative. In addition, Grahl was active in the affairs of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and was the first rural electric person to be elected to the American Public Power Association’s Board. In 1980 Basin Electric was recognized by President Carter with the National Award of Excellence in Pollution Control.

Jim Grahl has demonstrated statesmanship, innovation, personal commitment, leadership, and vision. His actions have achieved identifiable and lasting changes to improve and promote cooperatives and he has inspired others to advance cooperative systems.

Bob Bergland

Inducted:1994

Bob Bergland has touched numerous lives with his contributions to cooperatives throughout his lifetime. Bergland served as vice president and general manager of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association for ten years, where he was an exceptional leader and consistently displayed his commitment to the cooperative movement in everything he did. He also used his extraordinary leadership abilities to rally rural Americans and cooperative leaders to defeat legislative initiatives in the 1980s that threatened the rural electric program.

Bergland has long been a powerful force and an eloquent voice for cooperatives. He was elected to Congress in 1970 and became chairman of the subcommittee on Conservation, Credit and Rural Development. Here he quickly established himself as a progressive supporter of cooperatives, and effectively educated his colleagues about the key roles of cooperatives in rural U.S. communities. Considered a national spokesman for rural America, Bergland was selected by President Jimmy Carter to be Secretary of Agriculture in 1977. As Secretary, he again stressed the need for rural development programs via cooperatives.

Bergland has devoted his life to building cooperatives and promoting the cooperative philosophy. He has been a patron, local leader, national leader and spokesman, teacher, and political philosopher — all in the interest of improving peoples’ lives and the fabric of their communities through cooperative enterprises.

Ken Holum

Inducted:1993

Ken Holum has devoted most of his life to organizing and supporting the development of various types of cooperatives. Since the early 1940s Holum has been a leader in rural electrification nationally and in his home state of South Dakota. He founded the East River Rural Electric Cooperative in Madison, South Dakota, to supply power to local distribution cooperatives. He founded the James Valley Telephone Cooperative, to help bring telephone service to his fellow South Dakotans. Nationally, Holum formed the nation’s first fuel supply cooperative, Western Fuels Association, to which he brought his knowledge of and dedication to cooperative principles. As the Assistant Secretary for Water and Power Development in the U.S. Department of the Interior from 1961-1969, Holum consistently stressed the importance of cooperatives to consumers and the nation. For a half century Holum was one of the nation’s most vigorous advocates of the cooperative idea of doing business, both as a private citizen and public servant. His tireless efforts and innovative leadership certainly enhanced the cooperative movement nationwide.

Samuel Bunker

Inducted:1992

Sam Bunker’s long career with the Ford Foundation and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has led him to the far corners of he world. Throughout his many years of service to the international cooperative community, Bunker is credited with applying a consistent and reliable wisdom, thoughtfulness and practicality to all of his work. In 1990, he retired after 12 years as administrator of the NRECA’S International Programs Division. During his tenure, the International Programs Division achieved a decade-long, $40 million project to provide electricity to more than three million people in Bangladesh, a $25 million Central American initiative for new and innovative approaches to rural electrification, and creation of the NRECA International Foundation to help the poor and needy gain electric service.

Bunker’s commitment to the cooperative movement and his sincere personal desire to help poor, rural populations was also reflected in his exemplary leadership on the boards of several cooperative and international development organizations. He served on the board of CARE as vice chairman, chairman of the Cooperative Housing Foundation, secretary of CARE International, president of the Philippine-American Foundation, and was a director of Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance. Bunker brings to each of his official roles a sound, experienced, and worldly perspective on the vital role of cooperatives in meeting the needs of rural communities worldwide.

Barbara H. Deverick (1925 – 1989)

Inducted:1989

From her home base at the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation in North Carolina, Barbara Deverick made important contributions to cooperative management, development, and planning, as well as providing leadership for local, national, and international cooperative organizations. She was a leader in the Rural Electric Management Development Council, which researched and developed concepts on the cutting edge of management.

She also was chair of both the National Cooperative Business Association and the Overseas Cooperative Development Committee. In addition, she served as a board member of the Cooperative Development Foundation, the NRECA International Foundation, and the North Carolina Cooperative Council. Internationally, she served on the Central Committee of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and the ICA Women’s Committee, and she worked on overseas programs to help develop rural electric and other cooperatives. Barbara Deverick literally helped to light up the world.