(From left) College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences students Troy Pippen and Precious Bracy, Arthur S. Totton Jr., and CAES students Alaina Brock and Cy’Heim McRae stand at the entrance to Arthur S. Totton Circle Farm Road, part of the University Farm.
N.C. A&T has named a road on the University Farm after a visionary former educator.
Arthur S. Totton Circle Farm Road is named for long-time educator Arthur S. Totton, in recognition of his service and contributions to the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
“Mr. Totton was a visionary educator and respected advisor here in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences from 1946, when he joined the Department of Animal Husbandry, until his retirement in 1974,” said Shirley Hymon-Parker, Ph.D., interim dean of the college. “He was instrumental in establishing the poultry unit and the University Farm as we know them today.”
Friends and family attended a reception held in Totton’s honor at the University Farm, where they were invited to tour the facilities and view the new signage on Totton Circle Farm Road.
Totton joined N.C. A&T as an educator and advisor with CAES in 1946, where he would go on to play a pivotal role in the establishment of the university’s poultry unit and the development of the University Farm.
Throughout his tenure, Totton provided hands-on education and support, and accompanied students and faculty to poultry competitions and exhibits all over the Southeast. In 1983, he was acknowledged with an Appreciation Award from the university for his “cooperativeness, leadership, and faithful services as an instructor, academic advisor and researcher in the animal science department.”
“Mr. Totton was a great teacher and advisor, and an even greater humanitarian,” said M. Ray McKinnie ‘76, Ph.D., administrator for the N.C. Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T and former Totton advisee.
During his time at A&T, Totton also engaged in a variety of humanitarian efforts, including a two-year assignment with the Agency for International Development, in partnership with Colorado State University, to serve as a consultant to Nigeria to help establish the country’s poultry science industry. Shortly before his retirement in 1983, he also acted as a founding member of the American Federal Savings and Loan Association, now Mechanics and Farmers Bank.
Totton passed away in 1999, but his legacy remains.
“We are all proud of the evolution of our farm,” said Hymon-Parker. “We know that all of these achievements are possible because of the foundation that was laid for us by pioneers like Mr. Arthur Totton.”
The University Farm covers 492 acres with nine horticultural and animal units that host 25 ongoing research projects, and has14 full-time employees.
As of 2023, A&T alumni contribute more than $1.2 billion annually to the North Carolina economy, including the largest agricultural industry in North Carolina and Totton’s passion, poultry science.
