New Dorton fund established at the Adams County Community Foundation
By John Condon
The Adams County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ellis E. and Virginia Mae Dorton Scholarship Fund, created by their daughter, Patricia Dorton Whittaker, in memory of her parents.
Ellis and Mae Dorton moved to Adams County in August 1950 when Ellis purchased the International Harvester dealership from Roy and Glenn Mosier. Prior to that, he served as Sales Supervisor for International Harvester in the Cincinnati area, overseeing a large territory that included southern Ohio (from Brown County to Lawrence County), eastern Kentucky, and the western counties of West Virginia.
Both Ellis and Mae were raised on farms in Highland County and always felt a strong connection to the land. In the early 1930s, Ellis attended The Ohio State University, majoring in Agri-Business, until financial constraints required him to return home. As the eldest of five children, he went back to his family’s farm near East Danville and also worked part-time for the International Harvester dealer in Hillsboro.
In 1936, Ellis married Mae, and his part-time work soon became full-time. In 1940, he accepted a position as an International Harvester sales representative, a role he held until 1950, except for two years of service at Pearl Harbor from 1943 to 1945.
With a head for business and the heart of a farmer, Ellis built Dorton Implement Company into a highly respected business in southern Ohio. Mae worked alongside him every step of the way. While she was not technically on the payroll, she frequently made trips to the Cincinnati and Columbus parts depots to ensure local farmers had the equipment they needed. She often stepped in at the parts counter or anywhere else she was needed at the store.
In 1954, when the World Plowing Match Committee began searching for a U.S. site, Ellis and Earl DeVore, then head of the USDA Soil Conservation Service, proudly advocated for Adams County. Their efforts succeeded, and in 1957 Ellis and Mr. DeVore co-chaired the World Plowing Match held on the Webb farm north of Peebles. The event drew an estimated 350,000 visitors from across the globe to Adams County.
The Dorton family is deeply grateful to the many loyal customers who supported Dorton Implement Company through the years. In recognition of that community support, and in honor of Ellis and Mae’s lifelong dedication to agriculture, the family has established this scholarship fund.
The Ellis E. and Virginia Mae Dorton Scholarship will assist a graduating senior planning to pursue a degree in an agriculture-related field.