By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — Ivory Lyles, who became the first African-American to head an extension service in a predominately white university system when he was appointed director of the Cooperative Extension Service in Arkansas, has died. He was 65.
TRAILBLAZER — Ivory Lyles served as Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service director from 2000 until 2009.
A native of Mississippi, Lyles obtained a master of science in agriculture education from Mississippi State University and a Ph.D. in agriculture education from The Ohio State University.
“Ivory Lyles was a trailblazer who opened a lot of doors,” said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, and head of the Division of Agriculture, which is home to the Cooperative Extension Service. Fields is the first African-American to become head of the Division of Agriculture. “As I saw him at various Land-Grant meetings, I appreciated hearing about his experiences.”
A funeral for Lyles is set for Saturday at the Holifield Funeral Home, 962 E. 4th Street, Forest, Mississippi. A celebration of life service is planned for Sunday at the Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 341 Ephesus Road, also in Forest.
“Dr. Lyles devoted his career serving agriculture as an educator and administrator within the Land-Grant system,” said Ron Rainey, assistant vice president for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “He served in four states as a visionary leader committed to serving agriculture and rural communities.”
John Anderson, current director of Arkansas’ Cooperative Extension Service, said, “Dr. Lyles enjoyed a relatively long tenure as extension director in Arkansas and his impact is still felt throughout the system.
“Many of the county agents, extension specialists, and administrators currently in senior positions in the organization were hired during Dr. Lyles’ time and are part of the outstanding cohort of extension professionals who have shaped extension’s work today,” Anderson said.
Before coming to Arkansas, Lyles was a district supervisor for the University of Tennessee and Cooperative Extension Program administrator for Tennessee State University.
Lyles also served as director of the Cooperative Extension Service and was associate dean of engagement for the University of Nevada, Reno. He was hired by Oregon State University in September 2021 as vice provost for extension and engagement and director of Oregon State’s extension service. He retired in March 2024.
Edward Feser, provost and executive vice president of Oregon State, said Lyles reinvigorated the university’s community engagement and strengthened its statewide presence. In a Feb. 13 statement about Lyles’ retirement, Feser said Lyles helped secure a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture focused on youth development and bolstering Native American programs.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.