The two major 4-H history books – The 4-H Story: The History of 4-H Club Work by Franklin M. Reck and 4-H: An American Ideal 1900-1980, A History of 4-H by Thomas and Marilyn Wessel – have both been digitized are are now online on the 4-HHistoryPreservation.com website under the 4-H History Books section.

The Reck history, 326 pages in length, written in 1951, was the first national history book, published by the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work (now National 4-H Council).

The history authored by the Wessels is 353 pages in length and was published by National 4-H Council in 1982.

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