W. Wilson King, of Rock Falls, Ill., bought his first registered-Angus cattle in 1945, marking the beginning of Kinglore Farms Inc.

King was instrumental in starting both the Chicagoland and Illinois Angus Associations, serving on the board of directors and as president of each association. He served as advisor to two U.S. presidents, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, with the secretary of agriculture, as the liaison between farmers and Capitol Hill.

King raised three sons, Woodrow “Woody” Jr., Jay P. and David O. The sixth-generation family operation, now Sauk Valley Angus near Rock Falls, Ill., is home to 350 Angus cows.