Allen Christian’s lifelong commitment to Iowa State University and the pork industry left a lasting impact on animal science, swine production, and student development.
For more than 50 years (1959–2010), Allen Christian served as the Iowa State University Swine Teaching Farm Manager. Under his leadership, the swine herd thrived and became an educational cornerstone of the Department of Animal Science and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Today, the Allen E. Christian Swine Teaching Farm fittingly bears his name, a lasting tribute to his service and legacy.
Allen’s passion for improving pigs was instilled early on their family farm near La Porte City, Iowa, where his parents sparked his lifelong drive to make pigs and people better. Throughout his remarkable career, Allen dedicated himself to teaching, mentoring, and shaping students well beyond the formal curriculum he supported through his efforts. He was a lead teacher for swine labs for 40+ years, directly influencing more than 1,500 students through hands on education. As farm manager, Allen employed and mentored countless students each semester, instilling in them responsibility, accountability, and the confidence to make decisions.
As a result, Allen created a legacy of leadership in the industry as many of his students went on to become industry leaders around the world, and they credit their impact in large part to Allen’s mentorship in their career paths and personal success.
Allen’s influence extended beyond campus through his leadership in developing the Pork Fellows Program in 2006. As co-leader, he brought together roughly 20 students each semester for an immersive experience blending classroom learning with industry facility tours and professional networking. His personal reputation in the pork industry was instrumental in bringing top leaders and speakers into the classroom, exposing students to the latest news, trends, and career opportunities. As part of his influence on the swine industry Allen was one of the most respected and sought-after swine judges in the nation. For more than 50 years, he judged nearly every county fair in Iowa and every major national swine show across the United States. He became the face of Iowa State Animal Science for 4-H and FFA exhibitors, many of whom chose to attend Iowa State because of their connection with him at a show.
In addition to his impact on students, Allen Christian was also a visionary pig breeder whose work left a permanent imprint on the purebred swine industry and beyond. He combined his practical expertise with a scientific approach, generously sharing his insights to improve pigs and support producers worldwide. He traveled globally to extend his knowledge to the swine industry. As one example, his portrait hangs in the offices of Global Pig Farm in Japan where is recognized as one of their most influential advisors and consultants. They were so appreciative of him sharing his expertise with them that they sent students to Iowa State University to study and to work with him.
Allen’s extraordinary service and leadership has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Superior Service Award from the American Berkshire Association, the National Pork Board Distinguished Service Award, the Master Pork Industry Visionary Award from National Hog Farmer, and induction into the National Pork Producers Council Pork Industry Hall of Fame. He has also served as President of the Purebred Swine Council and was honored as a Master Seedstock Producer. Within Iowa State, he received the CALS Staff Outstanding Achievement Award (2006), the ISU Regents Award for Staff Excellence (2009), and the CALS Lifetime Achievement Award (2010). These honors reflect the depth and breadth of his contributions to the university, the industry, and the lives of those he touched.
Throughout his career, Allen was an ongoing collaborator with his late brother Dr. Lauren Christian, a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at Iowa State. Allen currently lives in Ames, Iowa and still has pigs that he cares for. Allen and his late wife, Shirley, have two children, Allen Chad Christian and Jennifer Haidu, four grandkids (Spencer, Parker, Grant and Bennett), and two great grandkids (Reid and Cal).
His extraordinary career profoundly shaped both pigs and people, creating a legacy that will endure for generations.
Allen Christian, Retired Iowa State University Swine Teaching Farm Manager was awarded an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Science degree at the Fall 2025 Commencement.
