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Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame
The Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to competitive marketing and true price discovery. These men and women are the backbone of the cattle industry. Their efforts ensure a competitive marketplace, the foundation of the American Cattle Industry. Without price discovery we become price-takers and lose our way of life.
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Jim Schaben Sr.
Dunalp Livestock Auction
Jim Schaben served in the Marine Corps during World War II. At the conclusion of the war Jim attended Reppert School of Auctioneering. Jim & Ruth Schaben married in 1948 and to that union 8 children were born. Jim started working at the Dunlap Livestock Auction and with much encouragement from the local bank, Jim & Ruth bought the Dunlap Livestock Auction in 1950.
Jim was active in the Livestock Marketing Association serving as the Iowa President. In 1965 Jim took his passion for community service and furthering the cause of production agriculture to the State Senate in Des Moines. He became the minority leader of the Senate Chamber. In 1974 he became his party’s nominee for Governor of the State of Iowa. After that unsuccessful bid Jim retired from politics. In addition, in 1974 Jim & Ruth built the current Dunlap Livestock Auction facility.
Jon Schaben wrote this about his father back in 1997 for an article in the Iowa Farmer Today as he was honored for being a “Legend in the Livestock Industry”
“Four generations of livestock producers have passed through the doors of Dunlap Livestock Auction, doing business with Jim Schaben Sr. and his family. We can’t think of a better testament to what our father has done here for 50 years.
His love and enthusiasm for this business haven’t diminished one…
Jon Schaben
Dunalp Livestock Auction
Jon has always joked that he was "born in a barn" being raised in the livestock marketing business in Dunlap, Iowa.
Jon graduated in 1987 from Iowa State University where he was President of the Block and Bridle Club and a member of the meats and meat animal evaluation teams. It was there that he met his wife, Julie, and they were blessed with 5 children Austin, Ryan, Alexandria, Walter and Bailey and 3 grandchildren!
Jon started in 1994 at the Dunlap Livestock Auction with his parents Jim and Ruth, and brothers Jay and Jim Jr. Jon is very proud of the fact that in the mid 90's they started a fed cattle auction that by the year 2000 was marketing over 75,000 fed cattle annually. Jon is very proud of the fact that he was the head sorter for all of the fed cattle auctions.
He was a graduate of the Missouri auction school where he served as an instructor for nearly 25 years. Jon was fortunate to have won the Triple Crown of Livestock Auctioneering contests winning the 2001 Greater Midwest contest in Winner, South Dakota, 2002 International Contest in Calgary, Canada and the 2003 World Livestock auctioneering championship in Lexington, Kentucky.
Jon has been very active in the Livestock Marketing Association serving as the Iowa president, a member of the auction contest committee at LMA and also serving on their government and industry affairs committee. In 2021 Jon had the pleasure of testifying in front of the U.S. senate judiciary committee…