We are very sad to announce that one of our charter members of our team, Sue Fisher, lost her fight with cancer late last year. Her enthusiasm and “can do” attitude are sorely missed by our team. a copy of her obituary can be found in the “Ways You Can Help” section of the 4-H History Preservation Website – http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com

As responsibilities change and our objectives broaden we have found the need to increase our leadership team. We ask you to join us in a hearty welcome of three former colleagues as new members of the team this year: They are Kendra Wells, Gary Deverman and Mel Thompson.

From National 4-H History Preservation Team. info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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The 85th annual National 4-H Conference was recently held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Washington, DC; Conference is the current rendition of National 4-H Camp, started in 1927 when it was held in tents on the Mall. Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack opened the Conference this year. Also featured this year was the first-ever assembled display of historic 4-H Calendar art: “Fifty Years of 4-H Calendar Art.”

The National 4-H Calendar Program was created on November 2, 1936, when Extension USDA, authorized the Thomas D. Murphy Company (Red Oak, Iowa) to use the 4-H name and emblem on calendars for sale to local sponsors. Th first commercial 4-H calendar was sold by the Murphy Company in 1938 for hanging in 1939. This may have been only a state-wide program which ceased with the beginning of World War II. After the war, four more companies joined the program.

Authorized sponsoring companies agreed to pay a 10% royalty on lthe sales of 4-H calendars for the development of the National 4-H Center. Between 1949 and 1959, $377,000 was made available for rebuilding and maintaining the 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. Those royalties continued to be paid annually until the calendar program was discontinued in the 1990s.

The Calendar Art Display, which was located just off the lobby of J.C. Penney Hall at the 4-H Center, included representative pieces of original calendar art, examples of actual calendars, and a history of the 4-H Calendar Art program.

A number of pieces of original calendar art are current unaccounted for; anyone knowing the location of any actual National 4-H wall calendars or original calendar art is asked to contact the History Team at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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The National 4-H History Preservation team is interested in learning about existing 4-H heritage quilts that have been produced for a specific purpose – quilts which depict the 4-H history of a club, a community, county, state or a multi-generational 4-H family. Have you seen or helped make a quilt? We know of at least four distinctive 4-H quilt designs, but there are many others that have been created following no set, established design.

We are NOT seeking the heritage quilts, themselves; only a photo of the quilt and the story about the quilt. Send to: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Visit our website at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com and sign up for the free 4-H history e-mail newsletter.

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United Nations Day is celebrated in October each year. A new segment has been added to the National 4-H History section of the 4-H History Preservation website telling about how 4-H helped “save the day” for UN Day back in 1950 and was honored by President Harry S Truman.

Read the story at:
http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/UN_Flag/

Contact the National 4-H History Preservation team at:
info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland, asked the National 4-H History Preservation Program for details of 1950s 4-H for its production of American playwright Sam Shepard’s “Curse of the Starving Class.” The 1978 play, considered one of Shepard’s most heralded family tragedies,” focuses on rural poverty and its effect on personal relationships.

The portrayed four-member family includes a teenage girl in 4-H. Because the script called for “Emma” to wear a 1950s-era 4-H uniform and create posters for her demonstration (“How to Cut up a Chicken”), Eimer Murphy, Properties Manager, sought help from the History Team.

Sue Benedetti emailed the 1959 photo of President Eisenhower opening the National 4-H Center; 4-H’er Anita Hodson wore the then-required girls’ uniform. Murphy replied, “That’s brilliant; than you so much!” In the final version, the costume was changed because Emma had to go horseback riding after her demonstration. Sue Fisher and Larry Ziliox surveyed several Extension Service websites for chicken-cutting diagrams; the Illinois version was selected.

According to Murphy, “The costume designer for this play is Joan Bergin, an Irish designer of some distinction… I warn you that she may take som liberties with the look of the costume; it’s called artistic license.” Bergin, one of Ireland’s most eminent costume designers, and the person interpreting the 4-H uniform, has won three Emmys and two Irish Film and Television Association (IFTA) awards.

Shepard’s play has been performed around the world, and was a major US film in 1994 starring James Wood and Kathy Bates.

from National 4-H History Preservation Program.
info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com
http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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