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Dr. John Noordsy, Purple Veterinarian

By Dan Knupp

The K-State College of Veterinary Medicine graduating Class of 1946 had 73 members with many going on to become notable educators and nationally recognized veterinary medicine administrators. Included in the prestigious 1946 list were future administrators Dr. Bill Pritchard and Dr. Bill Winchester, University of California, Davis; Dr. Dale Sorenson, University of Minnesota; and Dr. Don Trotter and Dr. John Noordsy, both deans at K-State.

After World War II, these young veterinarians and future educators burst into a new age of veterinary education and veterinary medicine. After the war, more support was given to land-grant institutions and their veterinary medical college charges. They adopted high standards where well educated veterinarians provided a larger role in the nation’s human and animal welfare.

K-State emeritus professor and past dean, Dr. John Noordsy, still has opinions on high standards that have been part of the history at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He should, as he has helped develop and hone those standards during his long tenure on the faculty and years in administration.

Noordsy’s partnership with the school began with his arrival at K-State in 1943, marrying Patricia Rose on April 1, 1945, and returning to teach here in 1960. His experiences between graduating and returning include a year as a meat inspector in South Dakota, two years serving as an assistant professor at Iowa State's Research Institute, and 12 years owning a successful mixed-animal practice in his hometown of Marion, S.D. In the business and home, Pat was his steadfast partner, staffing the office, handling the accounting and at the same time, helping raise their three children: Tom, a veterinarian and K-State alum; Jill a registered nurse; and Terry, a radiology technologist. They now have eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

When the Noordsys left South Dakota to come back to Kansas, the 600 or so practice clients, most on a first name basis with the Noordsys, lamented the loss of Pat as much as her husband. When they turned the practice over to another K-State veterinary graduate, there was only $500 in accounts receivable. Their efficiencies as a business team were missed nearly as much as John’s skills as veterinarian.

While in South Dakota, Noordsy gained valuable experience in practice economics and human nature that years later became hallmarks of his teaching. This rural practice was the crucible that molded his highly professional, people-oriented and objective working style.

After arriving at K-State in 1960, Dr. Noordsy finished a master’s degree in 1962. His veterinary and people skills helped him progress through positions as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and, in 1966, a promotion to professor of large animal surgery and medicine. Twice during this time he received the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award and in 1973, the K-State All University Distinguished Teacher Award.

In 1973 he became assistant department head in the department of surgery and medicine, initiating his duties as an administrator. He was appointed assistant dean in 1976 and in 1984 became associate dean of academic affairs and alumni relations. Noordsy also served for a year and a half as interim dean of the college.

As past administrator of the Alumni Association, Noordsy takes pride in having served a school with a superb reputation for alumni loyalty.

“Jake Mosier asked me in a video interview, ‘what builds loyalty,’” he said. “I answered him saying that good students with motivation, maturity, good academic experiences and exposure to good role models give us the opportunity to have great loyal alumni.”

The exceptional bond between K-State alumni and their College of Veterinary Medicine was, according to Noordsy at the time of his K-State arrival, “being built by Drs. Dykstra, Frick, Leasure, Oberst, and McCloud--great teachers who through personality and attitude, were all well versed in the ideals of loyalty.”

Under Dean Leasure the College of Veterinary Medicine's Alumni Association was formalized in 1958, officially named the Veterinary Medical Alumni Association.

“In the early '60s he would pass a hat during informal alumni luncheons at AVMA conventions. The 30 to 40 of us in attendance would elect officers and then kick-in money to pay for alumni mailings or other necessities. That was the start of alumni association fundraising,” Noordsy said.

The alumni association grew rapidly. As state Veterinary Medical Association and specialty group meeting schedules picked up, alumni receptions were organized for these meetings as well. Dr. Lee Railsback started buying sunflower stickers to put on meeting nametags.

“This got our alumni together in a hurry because everyone wanted to show their K-State sunflowers,” Noordsy said. “The next step was having receptions with snacks and drinks. Later when we started serving real food, rather than snacks, we were the envy of all the other colleges! We’ve always had more people, more fun and more alumni participation than any other school.”

The veterinary medical association meetings that take place mostly during the winter when veterinarians have more time to attend, culminate for K-State in June every year with the Annual Conference for Veterinarians in Manhattan. The conference and its activities have been a great venue for relationship building between alumni and their college for 65 years.

“When we teach a tradition of K-State, treat students as partners, they go out, get good jobs and come back in one way or another,” Noordsy said.

One of Noordsy’s instructors from back in the '40s, Dr. Roger Link, had a tradition of making the rounds of the first-year students, asking questions to find out something about each one of them. This not only helped him remember names but also helped communication throughout the year because it created a bond. Noordsy took this practice to heart and made a point year after year of remembering not only names but also facts that helped build relationships with his students.

“This wasn’t part of a Dale Carnegie course, but it was a great way for me to communicate with and be closer to my students,” Noordsy said.

Noordsy’s student friendships have lasted for decades, resulting in invitations for John and Pat to attend student reunions during the summers.

“Last summer at one reunion when I started hearing the names being read, I could almost recite the entire class roll. Attending their reunions has meant a lot to both Pat and me,” he said.

One of his students, Dr. Pat Growney, from Lake Suzy, Fla., endowed a student scholarship in honor of Drs. John Noordsy and Lee Railsback. Friendship, loyalty and gratitude are definitely parts of his relationship with students.

Professionally, Noordsy belonged to a multitude of local, state and national organizations. At the college he chaired or served on a like number of committees. Another professional passion for Noordsy was improving his teaching techniques. He would regularly audit education courses at the university, building the philosophy, “that if you aspire to be a teacher, a background on teaching theory, class organization and grading is a necessity.” As an administrator he encouraged faculty to do just this.

Noordsy’s meticulous surgery and medicine course preparation included preparing a syllabus, a questionnaire and notes section for his students. Other college of veterinary medicine surgery instructors from around the country heard of his “Surgery Notes” and would ask for copies to use in their course preparation. This led to his most valued publishing achievement, a 1978 book, Food Animal Surgery Notes. “The book has gone through a revision, a second edition, is still popular and used extensively in Europe,” Noordsy said. “The Europeans still think in smaller numbers when working with food animals, smaller farms allow them to continue making money doing food animal surgery.”

Dr. Noordsy also presented numerous papers, was a contributing author on many publications and was a consultant and writer for numerous AVMA films of national note.

Noordsy still has a writing project in progress--with Pat’s help, he is writing his memoirs. The work includes a thick section on K-State historical details and experiences. His work also has a very appropriate title: The Purple Vet.

Photo of Dr. John Noordsy and wife Patricia is courtesy K-State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Fall 2004