Ralph T. Hand Jr. ’51

Ralph T. Hand Jr. ’51 died on February 18 in Memphis, Tennessee. Two wives predeceased him. Few people experience a more extreme change of vocation and lifestyle than did Ralph. An accountant with a large firm in Philadelphia, he met and married a Southern lady and moved to her family farm in Glendora, Mississippi. His new life in agribusiness included managing the farm, serving as president of the Mississippi Delta’s most prominent agricultural development organizations and leading numerous civic and social service agencies. Along the way he acquired a delightful Southern drawl. Ralph devoted his life to giving back to his new community and the industry in which he thrived. Among the many organizations to which he contributed his time and talent were the Delta Council, the Mississippi Council of Farmers’ Cooperatives and Cotton Inc. He was honored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with its highest award for service to agriculture. He was district governor of the Lions Club, founder of Delta Wildlife and a 25-year trustee of Tallahatchie County General Hospital. At his church he taught Sunday school, led the adult and children’s choirs and played the organ and piano for 50 years. “Whitey,” as he was known in his undergraduate days, will be remembered as an especially acrobatic cheerleader, president of the Glee Club and member of the Injunaires, Theta Chi and Green Key. He served for two years as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army.