Dr. Jenks Swann Britt passed away early Sunday morning, January 14 2018 at the age of 72. He was born to the late Jenks H. Britt and Madeline Hammer on January 25th 1945. He leaves behind his loving wife, L. Kathy Britt. As a Warren County native, Jenks attended Western Kentucky University where he studied Animal Sciences and founded the AGR fraternity. Upon completion of his undergraduate work, he attended Auburn University where he earned a Doctorate in Veterinarian Medicine. He moved to Russellville, KY in 1970 where he joined the Logan County Animal Clinic as a partner serving the regional livestock community for over 20 years.
Dr. Britt served as President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) and received the coveted Bovine Practitioner of the year award in 1992, was honored as the Kentucky Veterinary Practitioner of the Year in 1993, and was named the Western Kentucky University Alumnus of the Year (twice). As a practitioner, Dr. Britt developed a bovine embryo transfer technique that revolutionized and advanced beef and dairy management in the livestock industry.
Ever the Teacher, Dr. Britt touched the lives of several hundred future veterinarians as a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, where he served until 1999. Dr. Britt returned to Western Kentucky University (WKU) as a professor in the school of agriculture and animal sciences where he also served as Dean of the College of Agriculture, retiring in 2008. Following his retirement from WKU, Dr. Britt served as a dairy industry consultant for the United States and Mexico.
Over his career he received numerous accolades including the prestigious Auburn University El Toro Award for animal health and nutrition. He received The Wilford S Bailey Distinguished Alumni Award from Auburn University in 2009. Dr. Britt was inducted to the Warren County Schools Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2015, he was named to the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame. Exhibiting his love for mentoring and education he was selected as The Merck Animal Health Mentoring Award recipient in 2011.
Dr. Britt is survived by his wife, L. Kathy Britt, mother, Madeline Hammer, along with his twin brother Jack and sister Suzanne, sons J. David Britt (Kristen), R. Andrew Britt (Gina) and Matthew F. Britt (Kristi). He leaves behind seven grandchildren, Hayden, Jenks, Eden, Andrew, Lila, Marin, and Jonas.
Funeral services for Dr. Britt will be held on Friday, January 19, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at State Street United Methodist Church with burial to follow at Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday, January 18, 2018 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Johnson Vaughn Phelps Funeral Home and on Friday, January 19, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the church. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to State Street United Methodist Church or to the Parkinson's Foundation.