James E. Garrison

Mr. James E. Garrison, 86, died Saturday, January 29, 2011. Mr. Garrison was born on July 5, 1924, in Pontotoc, Mississippi, but moved to Murray in 1956 and spent the remainder of his life as a Calloway County resident.
His wife, Edith Archer Garrison; a grandson, William Houston Garrison; and his sister, Peggy Garrison Hester, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his daughters, Beth Johnson (Dr. Mike) of Owensboro and Nancy Garrison of Natchez, Mississippi; a son, David (Sylvia) of Murray; five grandchildren J. Andrew Johnson (Libby) and Dr. Matt Johnson, both of Owensboro, Walter Garrison (Cecelia) of Henderson, Rachel Corinne Garrison and Sarah Kathryn Garrison, both of Louisville, and three great-grandchildren.
Mr. Garrison served in the 379th Bomb Squadron of the 425th Bomb Group at Kimbolton England during World War II. He then attended Mississippi State University and graduated in 1949 with a degree in dairy engineering. He moved to Murray in 1956 with his family and was associated with what was then Ryan Milk Company.
He served as the President of the Murray Airport Board, Murray Industrial Foundation, Murray Rotary Club, Murray Calloway County Hospital Board, First United Methodist Church Administrative Board, and Chamber of Commerce. He also chaired the Mayor’s Murray Cable Commission and the Industrial Track Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, and was selected Murray’s Man of the Year in 1960.
He assumed the leadership of Ryan Milk Company and grew this to a large nationally recognized enterprise. Under his leadership, the company became affiliated with the National All-Jersey organization. Mr. Garrison served on the National All-Jersey Organization Board for many years. Later, as the market changed, Mr. Garrison led the transition of the dairy into General Dairy Service, which produced an Ultra High Temperature pasteurized or extended shelf life product as well as the distribution of cottage cheese, sour cream, and later coffee creamers to all fifty states. Ryan was awarded the U.S. Senate’s Productivity and Creativity Award for their pioneer efforts in this industry in 1989. This enterprise was eventually sold to Dean Foods at Mr. Garrison’s retirement.
As an alumnus of Mississippi State University, he was honored for his contributions when in 1990 he was named an Alumni Fellow of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and in 1997 was chosen the National Alumnus of the Year. The James E. Garrison Sensory Evaluation Laboratory at Mississippi State’s Department of Food Science and Technology is named in his honor. He was also very supportive of Murray State University, his ‘adopted’ college and received an Honorary Degree there in 2000. He established the James E. Garrison Scholarship at Murray State to support student education and has been a strong Murray State supporter since moving to Murray.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Rev. Bob Saywell and Jim Stahler will officiate. Burial will follow in the Murray City Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday, January 31, 2011, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the J.H. Churchill Funeral Home and also from 9:00-10:00 a.m. at the church on Tuesday.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to: Murray State University, Office of Development, Jim Garrison Scholarship, 106 Development Center, Murray, Kentucky 42071; Mississippi State University Foundation, James E. Garrison Dairy Scholarship, P.O. Box 6149 Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762; or First United Methodist Church, 503 Maple Street, Murray, Kentucky 42071.