Karl Musser

Karl B. Musser was posthumously awarded the Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation’s 2021 Pioneer Dairy Leadership Award for his life-long contributions to the registered dairy cattle industry.

Karl was born in Kansas in 1888 and, until his death in 1974, he distinguished himself at every level and period of his life. He attended the proverbial one-room school from which he never graduated before he began studying dairy production at Kansas State College.  He was high individual in the Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging contest at the National Dairy Show and received a scholarship for advanced education which he applied to attending the University of Missouri where in 1914 he received a Master’s Degree in Dairy Production under Dr. C. H. Eckles.

Mr. Musser became a dairy extension specialist with the University of Connecticut and, later, the University of Washington.  In 1920, he became a field man for the American Guernsey Cattle Club for 15 eastern states; and then, in 1923 he became the Executive Secretary/Treasurer for that Guernsey organization.  For the next 51 years, Karl Musser dedicated his life to advancing the Guernsey breed of dairy cattle.  During his 31 years as Executive Secretary of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, Mr. Musser was responsible for the registration of 2,086,000 head of Guernsey cattle with a typewriter and pencil – well before computers and printers.

Karl Musser was very well respected by everyone in the purebred dairy cattle business for his foresight and dedication.  Mr. Musser is credited with promoting the idea of the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association and developing the major elements of the PDCA.  The PDCA still today is the authority overseeing the uniform rules and scorecards for production testing, artificial insemination, animal health, exportation, show ring classifications, ethics and practices for every breed.  Musser served as national secretary of the PDCA for many years.

In the late 1940’s, Musser petitioned the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association board of directors to develop what is now known as the National Dairy Shrine to help “dignify a way of life and recognize individuals who have made the industry what it is today”.  That led to the development of the Shrine Committee and the rest is history.  Here again, Karl B. Musser’s foresight became reality and the National Dairy Shrine continues in great health today nearly 50 years after his death.

Karl Musser’s impressive nature, fluent writings, insistence upon excellence in every endeavor and love of the Guernsey cow made him stand out amongst his peers.  He was heavily sought after as a speaker.  Mr. Musser traveled to nearly every state in the country nearly every year to speak at meetings and gatherings of Guernsey breeders and others; and, all this was done mostly via trains and automobiles instead of air travel.  And, we must not forget that there were some pretty rough times involved then – the Great Depression and World War II just to name a few. Karl B. Musser is another in the long line of people who came up with University of Missouri training and greatly contributed to the dairy production industry.  The late Dr. Harry Herman became President of the American Guernsey Cattle Club during Mr. Musser’s tenure as Secretary Emeritus.  Mr. Musser died in 1974 “leaving shoes so large they will never be filled”.  We thank the committee for recognizing Karl B. Musser with the 2021 Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation’s Pioneer Dairy Leadership Award.