Each year, National Dairy Shrine honors three or four living or deceased “pioneers” of the dairy industry. Nominated by members of National Dairy Shrine and selected by an anonymous committee, the Pioneer Award recipients are honored at the National Dairy Shrine Banquet at World Dairy Expo, and their portraits are then displayed at the National Dairy Shrine Visitors’ Center in Fort Atkinson, Wis.

The late William A. Weeks is honored as a NDS pioneer for his accomplishments in dairy cattle breeding and development of his analysis breeding guide. In 1938 Weeks founded Skyway Holstein herd in Vermont and from then until 1975, he bred and developed 30 Excellent cows and bulls, four Gold Medal Dams and three Gold Medal Sires from his small herd which averaged about 13 cows at any given time. Skyway was the first herd in Vermont to be awarded the Holstein Association’s Progressive Breeder Registry award twice. The Vermont Holstein Association named Weeks the Vermont Breeder of the Year in 1982, based on his breeding program and the worldwide success and respect of the aAa dairy cattle breeding guide. Weeks was a Holstein Association classifier for three years from 1947 to 1950 prior to creating and developing his aAa breeding guide in 1950.

Weeks’ fundamental understanding of the production, reproduction, health and mobility functions of animals allowed him to develop a program that identified a relationship of parts as the basis for qualities cows needed and bulls add in mating. He organized Animal Analysis Associates and along with other trained analyzers began offering the trademarked aAa breeding guide to dairy producers and artificial breeding units across the country. Weeks died in 1994, but use of his aAa method continues to grow today. Currently, there are 22 aAa-approved analyzers providing service in 24 countries on three continents. The service has been embraced by large and small herds and employed by respected breeders such as Wally Lindskoog of Arlinda Holsteins, Dick Brooks of Paclamar Holsteins, James Pappas of Starburst Jerseys, Obie Snider of Singing Brooks Holsteins, Dick Chapman, North Country Ayrshires, Marana Dairy Farm, Brown Swiss, and Arnold Kessler, Bay Meadow Guernseys.