Dr Frank Fender

Class of 1958

2019 Hall of Fame

Dr Frank Fender
          Frank Allen Fender was born on January 1,1940 to George Fender and Ada Hill Fender. Frank was an only child. He grew up on a small farm in Goshen, Ohio. He and his parents lived in Terrace Park until Frank was in the third grade. He was class president of the Goshen High School Class of 1958.  Frank lettered in track and football while in school and kept in shape by walking home from school, a distance of almost three miles. Coach Jim Brown was a beloved teacher and coach greatly admired by Frank. Robert Zwick was also one of Frank's favorite teachers. Frank was also very active in the Goshen 4-H club, and one of his important and cherished awards was the  Cattle Showmanship Award which he won at the Clermont County Fair. Frank graduated  from Goshen High School in 1958 and enrolled at Ohio State University. Frank graduated cum laude in Agricultural Economics from Ohio State University in December 1962.  After his college graduation, he began an MS program in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University in January 1963. 

          Frank was quoted as saying "Without any doubt whatsoever, growing up on a farm, 4-H and, most especially being an IFYE (International Farm Youth Exchange) were the key determinants of  both my personal and professional career. Life on the farm led to 4-H and 4-H led to an amazing IFYE assignment to Taiwan in 1962.  The IFYE experience taught me that  (1) I liked to travel (almost anywhere) (2) I enjoyed meeting and interacting with people of different cultures (and I was good at it)  (3) I could eat and drink almost anything (and did and still do) (4) Being professionally involved in international economic and social development would be an interesting and exciting career (and it was).

          In July of 1963, Frank married Judith Gilkison from Batavia, Ohio.  They met at the Belfast Methodist Church. They completed their degrees in May of 1965 and in August of that year, Frank was selected as a Purdue Fellows in Latin America. They traveled to live and work in Argentina.  Frank worked as a staff economist for the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and with the Ford Foundation. In 1965, he returned to Purdue to begin his PhD degree working as the Assistant to the Directory of International Programs in Agriculture.

          During that time, they were blessed with the birth of their children: Kimberly in 1970 and Steven in 1973.  In December of 1973, the family moved to Springfield Virginia. Frank began his career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of International Training (OIT).  In 1990, he was appointed Director of Food Industries Division, International Cooperation and Development, Foreign Agriculture from which he retired in 2004.  The primary mission of OIT was to arrange, administer and monitor academic and non academic programs in agriculture at US Land Grant Universities for foreign students primarily funded by USAID.  Frank had the privilege of working in 46 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the former Soviet Union.  Frank's international career with it's travel and cultural interactions with many persons in and from several countries affirmed and reaffirmed time and time again the strength and validity of the IFYE motto "Peace through Understanding". Frank believed in the power of education and sharing knowledge as tools to create a level playing field for all nations.

          Frank was a soccer coach, swim team rep and helped Reverend Judy in her church work for the Burke United Methodist Church.  Frank was a Ohio State and Virginia Tech football fan, as well as an avid Reds and Washington Redskin fan. Frank stayed close to his high school classmates and returned for the GHS Alumni dinner for many years. He was a loving father to his daughter Kimberly Fender Kurtz, her husband Trevor and his wonderful grandchildren, Amanda and Evan Kurtz. He was a devoted father to his son Steven, his wife Wynne Powell Fender and his grand children, Nicholas and Madelyn Fender.

          Frank died October 14, 2018 and a memorial service was held on October 19, 2018. Frank was interned at the Goshen Commentary on November 2, 2018.

          Frank Fender was nominated for the Goshen High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Betty Christman, Class of 1958.