Nail, Jimmy

Head shot of suited businessman (Jimmy Nail) smiling against dark backdrop
Name: 
Nail, Jimmy
Title: 
Expert in Cotton Cooperatives
Texas A&M Class: 
1954
Inducted: 
2009
Deceased (Silver Taps)

Biography:

Jimmy Nail, Jr. has served as an outstanding leader in Texas agriculture and an influential supporter of agricultural cooperatives for more than 40 years.  He received a B.S. in 1957 and an M.S. in 1958, both in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.  He was motivated to study the subject of agricultural cooperatives under the guidance and advice of Dr. Tyrus Timm.   

With this educational foundation and training, he focused his career on assisting farmers to understand the economic benefits of working together.  As a result, he was instrumental in the organization of ginning and warehouse operations and cotton marketing associations that currently operate as a nationally recognized network supporting the annual five million bale Texas cotton industry. 

Early in Mr. Nail’s career, he managed an independently-owned gin and was influential in converting the ownership to a modern day cooperative gin.  In 1970, he moved to Lubbock and joined the staff of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA).  Mr. Nail was actively involved in the merger of three gins into the American Cotton Growers Organization at Crosbyton, Texas.  This merger  resulted in the first “super gin” in West Texas which was uniquely designed to unload and feed 20,000 pound modules of seed cotton into the ginning operation.  Later, he assisted with the innovative planning and organization of producers to establish the cooperatively-owned American Cotton Growers denim textile mill at Littlefield, Texas.  In more recent years, he has advised and consulted with cooperative gin operations that were considering mergers and reorganizations.  These special projects required many miles of travel to meet with farmers and gin managers on the South Plains, the Rolling Plains, the Corpus and Rio Grande Valley areas, and in Oklahoma. 

Jimmy Nail was named Cooperator of the Year in 1991 by the Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council.  He also received the Distinguished Service Award in 1986 as one “who for many years has given generously of his time and talent to foster and promote the development of the agricultural cooperative endeavor,” presented by the Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council and the Farm Credit Banks of Texas.  While serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, Mr. Nail was awarded the Bronze Star for “Meritorious Service.” 

He has served on the Boards of the Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, Farmers Coop Compress, Growers Seed Association, and was Vice President of the Board of Plains Coop Oil Mill.  He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Brownfield; and, after retiring from PCCA, worked for Samuel Jackson, Inc., selling cotton gin equipment for several years. 

The education Jimmy Nail received from degrees in agricultural economics at Texas A&M University and the guidance of Dr. Timm has served agriculture and the Texas cotton industry well.  He continues to regularly participate in meetings of regional and local cooperatives to remain in contact with the agricultural community. 

Jimmy and Elaine, his wife of 52 years, have two sons and three grandchildren, two of whom currently attend Texas A&M, class of 2013.

Click Below for Video Interview: 
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Transcript - Jimmy Nail Interview.pdf125.07 KB