Minnie Lou Bradley stands in front of the main entrance of OSU's Animal Science building of orange brick. The words "Animal Science" are visible on the building behind her head. She is wearing a collared, black and white polka dot shirt with a black blazer over it. There is green shrubbery in front of the building, behind her on the right side. — OSU Agriculture honors Minnie Lou Bradley with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. Bradley is a trailblazer in the cattle industry and was the first woman to earn an OSU degree in animal husbandry. (Photo by Todd Johnson, OSU Agriculture)

OSU’s Ranchers Thursday Lunchtime Series to feature legendary beef producer Minnie Lou Bradley

Monday, September 23, 2024

Media Contact: Gail Ellis | Editorial Communications Coordinator | 405-744-9152 | gail.ellis@okstate.edu

The Oklahoma State University Extension beef cattle team will host a one-time Rancher’s Thursday Lunchtime Zoom session with pioneering cattle rancher and OSU alumna Minnie Lou Bradley on Oct. 10 at noon.

Bradley resides in Childress, Texas, where she and her family own and operate Bradley 3 Ranch. In 1953, she became the first woman to receive a bachelor’s degree in animal husbandry from OSU, previously named Oklahoma A&M College. She was the first woman to compete on the OSU livestock judging team, winning the top beef cattle collegiate judging title at the 1952 American Royal livestock judging contest. Bradley also earned high individual at the Chicago International judging competition in 1952.

The Bradley family’s ranching business dates back to the late 1800s with Longhorns and commercial Hereford cattle before Bradley’s management input led to the integration of Angus genetics. Bradley was the first female president of the American Angus Association, the largest beef breed in the world.

She and her husband, Bill, established the third generation of the Bradley ranch, Bradley 3, with 20 cows and 3,300 acres in the southeastern Texas Panhandle. Their commercial Angus herd transitioned to an Angus seed stock operation in 1958. Today, the family’s Angus and Charolais progenies are known nationwide for their high-performing genetic traits and resiliency in rugged terrain and harsh weather.

Bradley was named a Graduate of Distinction by the OSU Department of Animal and Food Sciences in 1988 and received the department’s Master Breeder Award in 2010.

The OSU Extension beef team, including Paul Beck, Rosslyn Biggs and David Lalman, will conduct a one-on-one Q&A session with Bradley on Zoom to discuss cattle management and herd development in the challenging climate of southwest Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.

Join the Oct. 10 Zoom session or contact Lalman at 405-744-6060 or david.lalman@okstate.edu for more details.