American Society of Animal Science

Leon E. Orme

Leon E. Orme was born in Provo, Utah and grew up in Tooele, Utah. He earned a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Utah State University (1952), an M.S. degree in Meat Science from the University of Tennessee (1955), and a Ph.D. in Meat Science from Michigan State (1958). He accepted a position at Tennessee in 1958. In 1959 he moved to the University of Idaho, where he remained until 1969. There, he twice received the R. M. Wade Foundation Award for excellence in teaching. In 1969 he took a position at Brigham Young University, where he remained until his retirement. At BYU he served as department head from 1973 to 1983 and coordinated the building of the Ellsworth Meat and Livestock Center.

He received the Outstanding Animal Science Teaching Award three times, the Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Meat Science Association, the WSASAS Teaching Award, and the BYU Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award. He received the AMSA Signal Service Award in 1966. He also served as the secretary-treasurer, vice president, and president of the WSASAS, secretary and president of the Idaho Chapter of Sigma Xi, president of the Utah Pork Producers, and a director of the AMSA for four years.

Leon taught numerous classes in animal science and coached the meats and livestock judging teams. He has also been involved in extension, 4-H, and FFA activities and has done extensive research in live animal and carcass evaluation, publishing journal articles, abstracts, extension publications, and video presentations. He is a member of numerous professional societies. He is active in his church and served as a bishop in three different LDS wards. He is married to the former Mary Ann Maxfield. They are the parents of five children.