Milford chronicle., 1961-02-03
w. II. Steele New
Southern States Head

4
w. II. Steele, Jr.. has been named
the new General Manager of Sou
thern States Cooperative. succeed
ing Howard III. Gordon. The new
general managers appointment be-
came effective January 20.
The announcement was made by
Campbell NJ Wade, of Elizabeth
town, Kentucky. president OF the
five-state regional cooperative. at
the annual meeting of the organi-
zation's board of directors held
here January 1926.
In other action. the board also
chose Wade and Hubert Snodgrass
of Street. Maryland. president and
vice-president. respectively.
AT the same time. Wade announc-
ed that Gordon has been named to
the post of Management Counsel
of the cooperative = post held by
w. G. wysor for many years.
Steele. a veteran of 26 years with
the cooperative. has been director
of its Wholesale Services Division
for the past IA years. His duties
with the organization have included
serving as a director of all of the
principal subsidiaries of Southern
States. He is. past president of
United Cooperatives national
purchasing cooperative of which
Southern States is one of the larg-
est users, and a former member of
the board OF directors of this or
ganization.
A native of Appomattox County,
Virginia, and a graduate of Vir-
ginia-Polytechnic Institute, Steele
first joined Southern States in jan
uary. 1895. as an employee of the
local Southern States Richmond
Cooperative. After serving as dis
trict manager in southside Virginia
and in the Winchester area, he
moved to Baltimore in 1887 as man
ager of the cooperative's fertilizer
plant there. Later that same year
he returned TO Richmond as assis-
tant manager of the cooperative's
fertilizer service. He was manager
of this division in 1912. post he
held until his appointment as head
OF Wholesale Services in July. 1947.
Prior to joining Southern States,
Steele was vocational agriculture
instructor at yarina High School
near Richmond and later was EN-
ployed by the Federal-State grad
ing service.
He is member of Country Club
OF Virginia. the Commonwealth
Club and the kiwanis.
Steele. member of St. Stephens
Episcopal Church, is married and
has two sons.
Wade stated that Gordon had re-
quested his name be withdrawn
from consideration for reelection
as general manager. In his state
ment to the Board of Directors,
Gordon pointed on THAT having
been elected General Manager at
the time of the unexpected death OF
the late o. E. Zacharias. Jr.. he had
served during the resulting trans
ition period, and that he felt that
the time had been reached for youn-
ger management to take over.
Gordon, who under the Southern
States retirement program is APP
preaching the compulsory retire.
ment age. further pointed out that
he had recently been elected pre-
sident OF the National Council OF
Farmer Cooperatives. position
which will require a great amount
of time and travel and frequent abb
sences from Richmond.
Gordon. who had served as Cen
eral Manager OF Southern States
Cooperative since April. 1859, has
previously held the post of assis-
tant general manager.
In January. 1853. Gordon was
selected by former Secretary OF
Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson to
serve as head of the U. S. Product
ion and Marketing Administration