Author Archives: Larry Krug

About Larry Krug

April 22, 1938 - May 3, 2019 Larry was with 4-H for 27 years and retired as the Director of Communications. Although he passed away on May 3, 2019 after a brief illness, Larry's work with and for 4-H will live on.

American Oil Company Provides World Globes to 4-H

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/


In 1962 the National 4-H Service Committee worked with the national 4-H donor of the 4-H Tractor program in supporting an activity to enhance 4-H’s international exchange programs, including shipping the globes out across the country. During the first six months of the year over 50,000 plastic inflatable globes were made available without charge to state leaders for 4-H distribution. The retail value of the gift was estimated at $522,000.

A 4-H'er blows up the plastic world globe so club members could trace the scope of 4-H in other countries.

A 4-H’er blows up the plastic world globe so club members could trace the scope of 4-H in other countries.

Many clubs, responding to a suggestion accompanying the shipment of globes, took part in an activity entitled “Everybody Learn Where 4-H is Around the World.” Using a list of 70 countries where a 4-H type organization exists, members placed tiny 4-H seals on the globe to show the world-wide scope of 4-H. Other clubs used them for following the progress of IFYE delegates or by participating in the People-to-People program. Some members used the globe to trace Col. John Glenn’s first orbits around the earth in February of that year.

 

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Latest Updates to 4-H Promotion Compendium

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The following articles have recently been added to the 4-H Promotion Compendium. The Compendium contains over 170 stories on how 4-H has been promoted on a national level over the past 100+ years.

These stories and more are available  from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

 

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Popular TV Show Honored 4-H Annually

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

The Lawrence Welk Show – aired nationally for nearly 30 years on the networks and in syndication – was one of the most popular entertainment shows during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Bandleader Lawrence Welk grew up in rugged North Dakota, his parents having been original homesteaders, and he never forgot his rural roots. The same can be said for a number of the band members and entertainers on the show.

During many of these years during National 4-H Week, Lawrence Welk paid tribute to 4-H and to the special week being celebrated. Often Myron Floren, the popular accordian player in the orchestra, and a former 4-H’er, would give the tribute and play a special song, or it could just as well be another member of the Welk musical family.

Welk_Floren

4-H members and their families always enjoyed this recognition. Welk, in his home-spun manner, had a way of making people feel special… and, it worked with 4-H every year.

 

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The Frankie Welch 4-H Scarf

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

Frankie Welch was born Mary Frances Barnett in Rome, Georgia and graduated from Furman University in South Carolina where she met her husband, William Welch. She also studied at the University of Georgia and the University of Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin, she was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s lifestyle and architectural discipline.

Mrs. Welch operated a fashionable ladies boutique in Alexandria, Virginia and became a favorite designer for Washingtonians of influence, particularly with her political and institutional designs. She became a protégé of Lady Bird Johnson and designed her “Discover America” scarf and staged the first fashion show in the White House for Lady Bird. During the 1968 political campaigns, Frankie was the favored choice of both the Democrats and Republicans, designing their “official” attire. The following year she was appointed by the White House to design the “Forward Together” scarf which was given as a souvenir at President Richard Nixon’s Inaugural Ball. She designed the gown which First Lady Betty Ford designated for the official portrait as well as the wax figure in the Smithsonian in the Hall of First Ladies; and, Mrs. Welch was commissioned to design political attire for the Jimmy Carter campaign and for Ronald Reagan. In 1976 she originated the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration scarf.

Frankie_Welch_Scarf

Frankie Welch was particularly known for her scarf designs and counts well over 1,000 major corporations, national associations, museums and universities as her “scarf customers” for which she has designed scarves.

A frequent visitor to the Alexandria boutique, who became a friend of Frankie Welch, was Eleanor L. Wilson, 4-H Extension USDA staff member (currently a member of the National 4-H History Preservation leadership team). One day, Eleanor mentioned that it would be nice if Frankie could design a scarf for 4-H. Frankie thought this was a tremendous idea and asked Eleanor to bring some 4-H emblems and other items over to her apartment so they could start designing a scarf. The Frankie Welch 4-H scarf is the result. The 8″ x 33″ scarf was sold during the late 1980’s through the National 4-H Supply Service (now 4-H Mall) and was often used as prized gifts in honoring people at the national level. Through Frankie’s dimensional standardization, this versatile method for example, allows one square to become a pocket kerchief or cocktail napkin, and the entire three or four squares make a lady’s scarf.

 

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Rotary Club Honors National 4-H Center with Strong Partnership

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/



Rotary_Club_Bethesda-Chevy-Chase


During the decades of the 1970s, 80s, and into the 90s, Bob Lindstrom, manager of the National 4-H Center, built a strong relationship with the local Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club. The local Rotary club contributed to Council’s programs and occasionally held their meetings at the 4-H Center and both Rotary International and National 4-H Council benefited.

4-H was always proud to have a visible presence on the local club’s banner by way of an image of the National 4-H Center right along side the images of the National Institutes of Health and the National Naval Medical Center. In recent years the local club has provided some funding for the “National 4-H Center Student Forum.” Rotary is one of the oldest, largest and most influential international service organizations in the world with 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries.


 

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4-H Human Formations

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/



Iowa 4-H girls, representing all 100 counties, while attending their annual meet in Ames in 1936 create a human formation.

Iowa 4-H girls, representing all 100 counties, while attending their annual meet in Ames in 1936 create a human formation.


From the very beginnings of 4-H a century ago, often when boys and girls gathered for special events, one of the activities would be the creation of a human formation. This would often be in the shape of the number and letter “4-H” or the 4-H emblem design. If there were enough participants, sometimes the outline of the state where the event was taking place would circle the main part of the formation. Pictures would be taken for souvenirs – even though most of the images of the participants were indistinguishable.

Later on, starting in the late 1960s after National 4-H Club Week was moved to October, occasionally university marching bands would create a human formation in the shape of the 4-H clover in the center of the football field during halftime ceremonies to commemorate the special event.




Iowa 4-H Girls' Convention, 1929

Iowa 4-H Girls’ Convention, 1929


Iowa 4-H Girls' Convention, 1934

Iowa 4-H Girls’ Convention, 1934



 

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Father Flanaghan’s Boys’ Town and 4-H

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/


Father Edward J. Flanagan, the founder of what’s known as Boys Town, had a dream that every boy could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an education and a trade. Father Flanagan, a Roman Catholic priest, firmly believed, “there are no bad boys. There is only bad environment, bad training, bad example, bad thinking.”

In December, 1917 Father Flanagan opened his first Boys’ Home in a run-down Victorian mansion in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, accepting all boys, regardless of their race or religion. Four years later, in 1921, the operation had grown so large that a move was made to Overlook Farm, outside of Omaha, where it continues today. Father Flanagan accepted boys of every race, color and creed. While Boys’ Town continued to grow, it became internationally known with the help of a 1938 movie, “Boys Town,” starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.


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Boys_Town_Postcard


During this same period, Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Town 4-H Club was an active part of the activities. The 1939 National 4-H Club News magazine lists Denny O’Brien as president of the club and also herdsman of 60 Brown Swiss dairy cattle. Teams from Boys’ Town judging or showing beef and dairy cattle often won the competitions at state and county fairs and even at nationally known livestock expositions. Those boys graduating from Boys’ Club during these years, in the yearbook… even the star football and baseball players, often listed that they belonged to the Boys’ Town 4-H Club.

 

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RCA National 4-H Program on Social Progress

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/



In July, 1936, while most of the country was still wrestling with the Great Depression, the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work, in partnership with the Extension System, announced a new awards program quite different from any that had preceded it. Called the National Program on Social Progress, the new program was sponsored by the Radio Corporation of America, through its services, RCA Victor and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).

Inspired by 4-H, the President of RCA, Mr. David Sarnoff, worked personally with 4-H to create the program to energize rural communities and simply help young boys and girls feel better about themselves and their future. It was a broad program encouraging community parties and cultural events where youth could expand their horizons, conservation activities, discussions and debates, volunteer programs and personal growth opportunities.


RCA_Social_Progess_Poster


The awards structure for the program was generous, including both individual and club awards along with county, state, sectional and national recognition. The top 4-H boy and girl in the United States were awarded $500 scholarships at National 4-H Congress, plus a trip to New York City (each with chaperon) to personally meet with Mr. Sarnoff and tour RCA and NBC facilities. Both an appreciation for music and the hands-on use of radio broadcasting were integral parts of the program.

The National 4-H Program on Social Progress was of great assistance in many rural communities which were experiencing low morale due to the Great Depression, and also was a highly visible program for 4-H. David Sarnoff served as a member of the board for the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work for a number of years

 

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4-H Alumni Distinguished Themselves in World War II and Beyond

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The following story is from the November 2015 issue of the 4-H History Preservation Newsletter

As we celebrate Veterans’ Day this month we would like to remember and share short stories about some of the many 4-H alumni that served their country proudly in the Armed Services. The following excerpt comes from “Wartime 4-H Support – World War II” which is currently being researched and written by the National 4-H History Preservation Leadership Team for inclusion of the website.

When the United States entered World War II in December, 1941, many older 4-H members and 4-H alumni enlisted in our country’s military services, soon to be actively serving on the battlefields and seas of the war. There were an estimated 800,000 4-H alumni in total enlisted in the war effort.

Not surprising, many of these young men and women who had grown up on farms and experienced the “can do” attitude of successful 4-H projects and activities also became some of the heroes of the war.

Knocking out Japanese at Saipan and Tinian won a promotion for Marine gunnery sergeant Marion J. Franklin, former 4-H Club president at Mount Vernon, Illinois. As a scout with the fourth Marine Division artillery, he served with forward observer parties throughout the Marines’ campaign, and was a crack shot, specializing in hunting enemy snipers. Fighting throughout the war, Marion became old enough to vote on November 11, 1944, near the end of the war.

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American boys of Japanese ancestry born in Hawaii made up the celebrated 100th Hawaii Infantry Division of the United States Army and one among them was Kenneth Otagaki, former 4-H Club member with a seven-year record of poultry project experience on the Island of Molokai. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, he was an assistant in the University’s dairy department, before enlisting. He closed out the war at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. because of combat wounds received at Cassina, where he lost a leg, an eye and several fingers.

Winner of the 100th Congressional Medal of Honor, Sgt. Oscar Godfrey Johnson, from Foster City, Michigan, was a member of the Sturgeon River Dairy Club five years and the Felch Forestry and Handicraft Clubs for each of several years. Sgt. Johnson’s citation tells a story of supreme courage. Detailed to a forward scouting battalion, his party was ambushed by Germans. All others were killed or wounded. He himself was responsible for killing 40 Germans, silencing six machine gun nests, and caring for the wounded. Later he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor from General Mark Clark.

The October 1945 issue of National 4-H Club News announced that Col. Creighton W. Abrams is now home in triumph in Agawam, Massachusetts. Abrams was a 4-H’er for several years, raising baby beef. During the war he served as tank battalion commander with Gen. Patton’s army. [Later, as a U. S. Army General, Abrams commanded the military

 

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Blue Sky Below My Feet

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The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History website at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

Blue_Sky[1]“Blue Sky Below My Feet – Adventures in Space Technology” was the name of a popular 4-H television produced in 1986 by National 4-H Council, Extension 4-H USDA, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) and Arthur Young and Company. It provided a strong, lasting relationship between 4-H and NASA that remains to this day. (See the section on the 4-H History website on Astronauts, Space and 4-H.)

Some of the segments in the series included four astronauts who were 4-H alumni – Don Williams, Mack Lee, Bob Crippin and Ellison Onizuka – filming in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. The three programs focused on gravity and forces, fiber and fabrics, and food and nutrition. Impulse, an animated satellite, was used throughout the series.

Dexter Dickinson, famed space artist, created a special set of six futuristic space art posters to accompany the Blue Sky series. Mr. Dickinson personally presented the original artwork for the posters to the National 4-H Center during the Blue Sky premiere on February 11, 1986 at the National 4-H Center.

One of the series of six posters created exclusively for the Blue Sky Below My Feet 4-H television series by famed space artist Dexter Dickinson

One of the series of six posters created exclusively for the Blue Sky Below My Feet 4-H television series by famed space artist Dexter Dickinson

 

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