George S. Hine is state dairy commissioner of Kansas with office in the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. His early life was spent on a Wisconsin dairy farm. Thus he is in a measure a dairyman to the manner born, as well as a man of thorough technical training and wide experience in that field. He had gained considerable distinction as a technical expert in his chosen profession in Wisconsin before he was called to Kansas, and has been identified with the dairy department of the state for the past six years.
He was born on his father’s farm near Fairchild in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, January 25, 1885. He was the oldest of the five sons of Rivilla C. and Kittie E. (Foster) Hine, the former a native of New York, and the latter of Wisconsin. His father was a practical dairyman and horse raiser in Wisconsin.
As a boy George S. Hine alternated between his father’s farm and the public schools of Fairchild. On leaving the high school he entered Wisconsin University, where he specialized in the agricultural department and received his degree, Bachelor of Science of Agriculture, in 1907. In determining to secure a university training Mr. Hine carried out his ambition largely through means of his own earnings, and practically paid all his expenses while at Madison. During the last year of his university course he was student instructor in agriculture. After graduating he was appointed assistant instructor in feed and fertilizing inspection and dairy tests. That was his work until September 1, 1909, when he went to Marinette, Wisconsin, as principal of the County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy.
A year later, on September 1, 1910, Mr. Hine was called to the Kansas State Agricultural College as lecturer on dairying in the department of college extension work. In that capacity he traveled pretty well over all the counties of the state, particularly those where dairying was an important industry, and the dairymen of the state, who had thus become acquainted with him personally and with his work as an instructor, hailed with much satisfaction his appointment in 1912 as state dairy commissioner.
During his administration as commissioner Mr. Hine has brought about many improvements of conditions affecting the dairy interests of Kansas. In particular should be mentioned the adoption of a system for grading cream. Up to that time all cream had looked alike and had been accepted as of a uniform quality. Now cream is sold according to grade, and thus a matter of justice is done those dairymen who seek to produce the best quality of creamery product. All creamery men and station operators are compelled to grade cream, according to standards established by the state dairy laws.
Mr. Hine is a member of the National Dairy Instructors’ Association, of the Kansas Creamery Improvement Association, of the International Dairy and Milk Inspectors’ Association, and has served as secretary of the Kansas Dairymen’s Association. He is a member of the Kappa Alpha Beta fraternity. In 1911 he married Miss Edith Dahlberg.