James Tom O'Rourke
November 16, 1942 — March 5, 2024
James Tom O’Rourke, 81, died unexpectedly in Chadron, NE, March 5, 2024.
Jim was born to Joseph and Jean (Moeller) O’Rourke on November 16, 1942, in Alameda, California. From California the family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where his father Joe finished his forestry degree and was employed as a District Ranger, U.S. Forest Service, residing at Stub Creek Ranger Station. At age nine, Jim and family moved to Bayfield, Colorado, residing there for four years. At the beginning of eight grade, the family moved to Buffalo, Wyoming where Jim graduated from high school in 1961. During the time in Buffalo, the family resided at Hunter Ranger Station from where Jim explored the Bighorn Mountains in depth, accompanying his father on his forest and range work, developing his interest and love of range work, and emulating his father’s work.
Jim received his Bachelor of Science in Forest and Range Management from Colorado State University and his Master’s Degree and PhD in Range Management from the University of Arizona.
Jim taught range science at Utah State University for 6 years.
Jim taught range science at Chadron State College for 15 years and helped establish the Range Management program at CSC which continues to have high numbers of range students. Even though he retired in 2002, he remained active in the range management program and always promoted the CSC range program worldwide.
Jim was a passionate champion of rangelands both domestic and international. During his 60-year membership with the Society for Range Management (SRM), he served in many positions including President. He was also President of the Nebraska Section SRM. He received SRM’s top honors including the Frederick G. Rennner Award, Fellow Award, Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award, and Range Management Service Award. He also received numerous awards from other professional organizations including the Leopold Conservation Award, Presidential Citation from the American Forage and Grassland Council, Distinguished Service Award, Chadron State College, International Professor of the Year, Utah State University and Conservation Education Award from the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District, Chadron, NE.
Jim’s international rangeland management consulting work was extensive. He spent over 8 years working in Africa, (2 years each in Morocco, Tanzania, and Nigeria). In addition, he worked in numerous countries within Africa for many organizations including but not all,
University of Minnesota, Near East Foundation, US Agency for International Development, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and the Peace Corps.
Jim was instrumental in organizing the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 which is a worldwide event that recognizes the importance of rangelands and sponsored by the United Nations (iyrp.info).
Jim served in the U. S. Army as an Education Specialist on the DMZ of Korea 1967-1969.
After the Army he married Nancy McCoy of Big Horn, Wyoming. Jim adopted Nancy’s two wonderful boys Charles and Keith. Their wonderful daughter, Valerie, was born in Arusha, Tanzania.
Jim met his second wife, Lora Hawkins of Ophir, Utah, and they lived in Kaduna, Nigeria for two years before moving to the RUJODEN Ranch south of Chadron, Nebraska. Jim and Lora’s twins, Seth and Shannon, were born in Chadron and were Jim’s pride and joy.
The ranch is named after his grandparents, Frank and Jerene O’Rourke’s children – Ruth, Joseph and Dennis. Jim implemented short duration – high intensity grazing management, planted 1,000’s of trees, and built lots of fence and water developments.
At the time of his death, Jim was working tirelessly on his new passion, writing a book on sheep wagon builders. Jim and Lora’s collection of 21 sheep wagons started in 1987. The book is near completion and the hope is to establish a museum that represents a sheep wagon made by each of the major builders.
Jim was also a Technical Service Provider consultant working with over 100 ranchers conducting rangeland assessments and livestock grazing management programs under the Natural Resources Conservation Services CSP program. Jim thoroughly enjoyed working with ranchers throughout the panhandle and sandhills.
His other passion was restoring the 1870 Lawrence Mercantile which sits in the historic mining town of Ophir, Utah.
Jim is survived by his wife Lora of 38 years; twins Shannon and Seth; daughter Valerie; son Keith and his wife Denia O’Rourke (daughters Kaelyn and Kiana) and son Charles and his wife Sonja O’Rourke (daughters Madison and Ariana and son Charles); brother Jack and his wife Mary O’Rourke (sons Mark and Michael) and sister Janice and her husband Jeff Cowger (son Matthew and daughter Carrie).
Jim was a compassionate husband, loving father, dedicated brother, and friend to so many. Jim lived his life to the fullest and touched many, many lives and will forever be remembered.
A celebration of life will be held at the RUJODEN Ranch, 5 miles south of Chadron, NE in June. The specific date and time will be announced.