R. E. Short, Jr.

R. E. Short, Jr. grew up in Wheatley, Arkansas. His father Romeo Ennis Short and his mother Darlene Shearer Short began the family farm there in 1922, and Romy as he is known by his friends continued this tradition of farming with 2,200 acres of rice and soybeans. Mr. Short graduated from Brinkley High School and attended Arkansas Tech and Oklahoma State universities. He returned to the farm and at one time was co-owner of Producers’ Implement Company, a John Deere Dealership in Brinkley, Ark. He was elected to the board of directors of Riceland Foods, Inc., in 1954 to represent the Wheatley District. He was elected vice chairman of the board in 1972 and chairman in 1978. He retired from the board in 1985 after 31 years of service. During Mr. Short’s chairmanship, Riceland took a number of important decisions. It made major commitments to reducing debt, producing value-added products, improving its cooperative structure and improving grain handling facilities at its grain driers, processing plants and river terminal. He earlier served as president of the Wheatley Grain Drying Cooperative, a Riceland affiliate, for 17 years. He resigned that position upon his election as Riceland’s chairman. Other offices he has held in farm organizations include: president, Arkansas Cattleman’s Association 1967- 68; president, Arkansas Soybean Association 1976-77; member of Arkansas Rice Promotion Board; member of Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board; appointed to the National Rice Advisory Board by Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz; appointed to the Arkansas Soil & Water Commission by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller; member of U of A School of Agriculture Advisory Committee; and member, Arkansas Farm Bureau and American Soybean board of directors. Mr. Short also has been a champion for rural roads in Arkansas that help farmers move their crops from farm to market. He worked behind the scenes to encourage the paving of many miles of roads in eastern Arkansas.