Keith Evans, St. Joseph, Mo., dedicated 35 years of his life to promoting Angus cattle. Evans joined the American Angus Association staff in October 1962 as the assistant director of public relations. He was named associate director and manager of the association's national advertising program in 1968, and in 1978 was promoted to the department's director. He served in that capacity until April 1998.

Under Evans' direction the association has won numerous first place advertising awards, including the award-winning elephant ads of the 1980s. In 1984 he started the "Merchandising Column" in the Angus Journal to help breeders beter understand marketing and advertising, and to do a more effective job of their own herd advertising. The Livestock Publications Council recognized his column as the best regular column for several years. Two books of Evans' Merchandising Column, "How to Sell Angus Cattle," are in print and used by seedstock producers from several breeds as a reference to herd marketing.