Memorial Scholarships & Grants

James E. “Jim” Loudon was born in Wenatchee in 1929, to Edgar J. and Mary Loudon. They resided in Manson, WA, on an orchard until 1939, then moved to Wenatchee for a year and a half, then moved to Carlton, WA. He graduated from Twisp High School in 1947, where he participated in all sports, and was student body president.

Following high school, he entered Washington State College, graduating in 1951. He remained at WSC, working for the college and earning a master’s degree in agriculture economics in 1953. His master’s thesis was on “The Economics of Storing Red Delicious Apples in CA Storage”, four years before the onset of commercial CA storage by Marley Orchards of Yakima, WA, and a year later, by Ed Lovitt of Wenatchee.

Jim married Betty Campbell of Clarkston, WA, on December 20, 1953. They had three daughters between 1955-1959.

Soon after their marriage, Jim joined the U.S. Air Force and served in active duty as a supply officer for three years then remained in the Air Force Reserve until he retired as a major in 1975.

Jim went to work as assistant manager of the Washington Growers Clearing House in 1956 and initiated several innovations, including the first annual price summary in 1957. He was hired as assistant sales manager at Skookum Packers in 1959, and in 1965, was employed by Washington Fruit Growers Inc. as general manager. He retained that position for 22 years, until Washington Fruit Growers merged with Blue Bird Co-op in 1987.

Starting in 1990, Jim took several consulting assignments including some in Poland, Belarus and Russia. The Russian assignment was especially interesting, in that it was in the same city, Saratov, near where his mother was born. Jim owned orchards in the Wenatchee area from 1961-2006.

Jim served 17 years on the board of directors of Northwest Wholesale, including two years as president. He was a former member and president of the East Wenatchee Rotary Club and a member of the Wenatchee Rotary Club, with a perfect attendance at both clubs, a total of 38 years. He was a member of the Retired Officers Association, Wenatchee Fly Fishing Club and the WSU Alumni Association.

Jim’s hobbies included fishing, traveling, photography, hunting, boating, playing cards and watching sports on TV. For the past year, Jim enjoyed writing about the early fruit industry. After his wife Betty died, he met and married Mavis Danielson in 2011.