Clarence Van Dyke of Manhattan, Mont., grew up on the farm where Van Dyke Angus still sits today. He served in the Army from 1951 to 1953 before returning home to marry his wife of 63 years, Marian, who passed away in July 2016. The Van Dykes have four children: John (Elleen), Keith (Evelyn), Debra (Sid) Schutter and Lee (Shirlee). Van Dyke got his start in the registered Angus business in 1955 with the purchase of 35 cows. He became a test herd for ABS Global and was one of the first herds to widely use AI. Van Dyke’s sons all have been involved with the herd through the years, with Lee and Keith currently managing the herd.

Over the years, Van Dyke has always been staunch in his beliefs about the Angus cow and often has said, “The first thing a bull has to do is make a good cow. If he can’t do that, he’s no good.” His straightforward approach to life has been appreciated by many over the years and led to him serving on many boards. He was on the Northwest Farm Credit Services board of directors from 1990 to 1998 and was also a trustee for several years. He served on the Genex board of directors from 2006 to 2012, as well as the AgAmerica and AgriBank boards of directors from 1999 to 2002.

He has received numerous industry awards, including the 1985 Montana Performance Man of the Year; 1989 Outstanding Farmer-Rancher; Gallatin County Outstanding Conservationist; 1999 Certified Angus Beef^® (CAB^®) Seedstock Commitment to Excellence; and the 1997 Wayne Stevenson Award of Excellence by the Montana Angus Association. He was also recognized by ABS for having bulls sell 50,000 units.