William Heffernan Retires (Again)
At a recent retirement ceremony honoring him for almost 30 years of service to MU, Bill Heffernan posed for a photo with his family.
He tried eight years ago, but decided to come back to continue studying the challenges to Missouri agriculture.
This time, he says, he'll stay closer to his 140-acre Missouri farm where he'll raise a variety of 'heritage' breeds of farm animals—although he still plans to occasionally drop by his old office to help out.
CAFNR Rural Sociology Professor Emeritus Bill Heffernan, since his arrival at MU in 1979, has noted how production, sociological and cultural changes have impacted farm families and the communities in which they live.
He helped define the 1985 Farm Crisis when his research helped influence the farm bill of that year. He also organized a network of resources to help farmers financially and emotionally.