Category Archives: History

Where Our 4-H History is Kept

Posted on by

There are many locations which contain significant archival collections of 4-H history — records, artifacts and other historical memorabilia. They include 4-H history museums and websites, and collections housed at national repositories, state and university libraries and even some local archives. There are 4-H program and event records and photos and the personal papers of some of our 4-H pioneers and leaders.

One of the projects of the National 4-H History Preservation Program is that of developing a database which provides information on where to locate these various repositories.

We currently have over 50 repositories listed in the National 4-H Repositories section of our history website… but, we know there are many more “out there.”

Visit: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Repros_National.asp to view the listing and contents, or check out the locator map. If your state 4-H records and archives are not listed, or a state 4-H museum, please let us know. If you know of special collections or papers of 4-H pioneers or state 4-H leaders that are housed in a library or archive, we would like to know this, too. Contact us at: Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com Repository_Map

4-H Brand Products from the Farm Highly Promoted a Century Ago

Posted on by

Almost from the creation of the term “4-H” — and before the use of the 4-H emblem — enterprising young girls and boys were using the term “4-H Brand” as a “stamp of quality” on their home-grown farm products resulting from 4-H projects, kind of like the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

Today the 4-H emblem is a federally protected mark that can’t be used on products without approval. The 4-H emblem was patented in 1924, and a 1939 law protects the use of both the 4-H name and the emblem.

Early 4-H’ers were very keen on management and marketing of their projects. Accurate record-keeping and accountability was stressed by the leaders and county extension agents. Creative marketing was often the key to success. Many members devised ideas on how to market their products that even their parents or leaders had not thought about.

Whether it was vegetables from the 4-H garden, fruit from the orchard, eggs from the hen house, dairy products from the barn or honey from the 4-H bee hive, creative marketing was important to the young boys and girls.

  4-H_Story_Pg_102_Corn4-H_Story_Pg_102_Potatoes

A 1914 directive out of USDA’s Washington headquarters office states: “In connection with the boys’ and girls’ club work the 4-H brand canning labels, seed corn labels and seed potato labels are of especial importance in encouraging the club members to standardize their products. State, district and county men who are interested in the 4-H brand labels and wish samples of them can secure the same by writing the office of farm management, says O. H. Benson, government specialist, in charge of club work.”

A new section,4-H Brand Products from the Farm, has just been added to the national 4-H history preservation website on 4-H brand products. To view the section to go:

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

Cherry Pies and 4-H History

Posted on by

Cherry_Pie Food and nutrition projects were a mainstay of early 4-H. After all, Health was one of the four H’s represented in the organization’s name and emblem that were adopted back in 1911.

Articles about food and nutrition projects and programs were plentiful in many editions of the National 4-H News magazine. The magazine carried stories about 4-H members involved in canning, dairy, food preservation, gardening and meal preparation.

The April 1939 issue carries a feature on Ruby Hudson, a 16-year old Missouri 4-H member who had recently been selected the winner of the annual cherry pie baking contest held in Chicago. The annual contest was held to celebrate George Washington’s birthday in February (his 207th in 1939), and was sponsored by the National Cherry Week Committee and the “Hatchet Club.” Ruby took her first train ride for her visit to Chicago for the contest accompanied by her county home demonstration agent. As the contest winner, Ruby received a check for $100 and a sight-seeing trip to Washington,DC for herself and her chaperone.

First Phase of National Calendar Art Project Accomplished

Posted on by

Twenty-one pieces of the 35 original National Calendar Program paintings in the National 4-H Council’s collection needed repair, cleaning, re-framing, varnishing or sometimes all of these. These paintings represent nearly 50 years of 4-H history through their contemporary illustrations from the respective time periods. They also represent the work of nine recognized artists who produced these annual paintings for advertising purposes at the local level. Many of the pieces were able to be localized to the county where they were sold through signage on buildings, buses or actual signs which were a part of the illustration.Our_County

The following donors made the restoration of these art pieces possible: Sue and Dave Benedetti, Leann Blum, Gary Deverman, IBM Corporation, James Lindquist, Ronald Paasch, David Pace, Phil Upsilon Omicron (DC Area Alumni Chapter), Dallas Smith, Mel Thompson, Kendra Wells, Bernadine Wiesen, Nancy Wills, Eleanor L. Wilson, and Helene Zueg. Our most sincere thanks go to all of them.

The next phase of this calendar art project is to make them available for people to view; to preserve them and keep them safe from deterioration by light, abrasion, and dirt. That part of the project will entail putting each painting behind protective Plexiglas, and will be undertaken as soon as we are able to raise the necessary $12,000 for the individually fabricated coverings. This will protect the original Calendar and Poster art currently on display in the Heritage Hallway at the National 4-H Center.

Will you help us meet the $12,000 goal to complete the preservation process? Go to the 4-H history preservation website: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com and “click” on the “DONATE” button in the left-hand menu bar.

Self-Guided 4-H History Tour Initiated

Posted on by

The National 4-H History Preservation Leadership Team introduced a self-guided history tour of the National 4-H Youth Conference Center during National 4-H Conference this past spring. This is the first step of a planned Center-wide tour to cover many places of interest and items of National 4-H Historical value at the Center, and was conducted in the lobby area of J. C. Penney Hall.

Six sites were picked because of their proximity and because they include the history from the day that the National 4-H Center was opened by President Eisenhower up to and including an exhibit of national artifacts from the 10 most recent years of 4-H history. People wishing to take the tour need only a scanning device such as a smart phone or an electronic tablet to participate. Each item on the tour includes a marker containing a very brief description of the historical area or artifact and a QR code which leads the viewers to more detailed information.

QR_Program

To make the experience more enticing and rewarding for the Conference visitors, the History Team devised a treasure hunt. Conference delegates were given a map designating the areas where the QR codes were located along with a question to be answered on each place, item or the person featured in that part of 4-H History. The participants needed to read a small amount of information on their device in order to answer the questions. To make the experience more gratifying, the 4-H Center Gift Shop offered a 10% discount to all who found the answers to all six questions.

The areas/items currently on the tour are: Gertrude Warren’s Portrait, the J. C. Penney Mural, the Contemporary 4-H Exhibit, Massachusetts Foyer, Noble Breakfront and Danforth Courtyard.

The History Team hopes to enlarge the tour to include the timeline mural and historic items in J. C. Penney Hall’s first floor Kathleen’s Corner along with the artwork in the Heritage Hallway between Aiton Auditorium and the Schruben Board Room on the lower level as the project moves forward over the coming months.

0001-0005-0020

Help Preserve 4-H History: The Foundation of Our Future.

Posted on by

Become a Contributing Member of the 4-H History Preservation Program.

The National 4-H History Preservation Team is five years old. To strengthen this rich foundation for youth today and tomorrow, this volunteer team has been working to capture the history of HEAD, HEART, HANDS, HEALTH and those pioneering leaders who believed deeply that youth are the future of the world. National 4-H Council, 4-H National Headquarters, caring individuals, and businesses have contributed over $100,000 in financial, staff, and in-kind support to empower this initiative.

YOU CAN HELP? Become a Contributing Member and support the research, documentation, and gathering of the knowledge and physical treasures of 4-H past and present. Your contribution will ensure that the history of 4-H is accessible for all.

Your generous support for 2014 of $25, $50, $100, $300, $500, $1000 or any other amount will help to reach the goal of raising $200,000 in three years. All contributions are tax deductible.

Make checks payable to: National 4-H Council and mail to: National 4-H History Preservation, P.O. Box 37560, Baltimore, MD 21297-3560

Please write 4-H History Preservation on the memo line of your check.

To learn more about the work of the 4-H History Team visit:

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Youth Busy Producing Films for 4-H FilmFest 2014

Posted on by

All across the country, teams of 4-H FilmFest_Logo_Smallyouth are working to produce films for presentation at 4-H FilmFest 2014 in St. Louis. “Voices of 4-H History” will be one of the categories that youth produced films will be competing in this August. Films submitted by July 1, 014 will be judged for exhibition during the FilmFest, August 3-6, 2014.

To view the youth produced films from the 2013 FilmFest, go to “Screening Room” at

http://4h.missouri.edu/go/events/filmfest/results2013.htm

History Preservation Newsletter
April 2014

Posted on by

The last few days of balmy spring weather brought DC’s cherry blossoms bursting Cherry_Blossomsforth in all their frothy pink splendor to highlight the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.  This painting captured that spring ritual in the c. 1975 National 4-H calendar art.  So, for this issue, what is more fitting than 4-H helping Mrs. Obama plant a cherry tree?  Or a “Hands on History” challenge to create healthy cherry-based snacks?

There’s a new self-guided history tour at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center.  Using QR Codes, we’ve put up six sites in and around the J. C. Penney lobby for visitors to scan and learn a bit about that piece of 4-H history.  The tour covers a broad span of time from a portrait of the “Mother of 4-H” to artifacts from the most recent 10 years of the program.  Scan the QR Code in this issue and see where it leads.

We continue the “Voices of 4-H History” program of recording audio and visual memories as we come closer to the Centennial date of signing the Smith-Lever Act (May 8) which gave federal funding to the Cooperative Extension Service.  Progress updates from several states, some suggestions, and a list of available resources make up this month’s coverage.

“Voices” participants are scripting, filming, editing, re-filming, and re-editing their potential entries in the national 4-H film festival, “2014 FilmFest 4-H.”  This year’s festival will be in St. Louis and “Voices of 4-H History” is an official category in the August competition.

And now it’s time for that healthy snack: a juicy slab of freshly-baked cherry pie while you enjoy this issue!

4-H in the Movies

Posted on by

The following is from the July, 1960, monthly column, “Washington News and Views,” by the federal Extension 4-H staff, which appeared in National 4-H News. This particular column was written by Dr. E. W. Aiton, Director,, 4-H and Young Men and Women Programs (YMW).

“4-H pops up in the most interesting places! Now it’s in the big time motion picture business. I’m writing this article from Hollywood, California. Tomorrow morning we give a final review and approval to a feature-length movie that’s all about a 4-H community in Katy, Texas. The title is ‘Tomboy and the Champ.’ You’ll see it soon in your neighborhood theatre.

“The part of the ‘Tomboy’ is a very nice but determined little orphan girl. You’ll shed a tear or two because polio nearly spoils her 4-H hopes and dreams. but her foster parents, the local club members and an understanding rural pastor help her over the rough places. We hope you like it.

“We always get a tremendous thrill out of working with folks who see in 4-H a chance to tell a wholesome story about the good things that happen in America. This motion picture is another example.

“While flying here to filmland this afternoon I was reminded of an almost forgotten contribution of 4-H to the stars. Once long ago our small town family doctor telephoned and said ‘Ed, we have a mighty sick little baby here. It’s Judy Gumm. We can’t find any food that agrees with her. Will you take real special care of some low-butterfat milk and bring it in fresh twice a day. Strain it and cool it carefully and…’

“So ‘Toots’ — my Holstein 4-H heifer — became an experimental foster mother for about six months. The whole town was mighty pleased that tiny Judy began to feel better right away. at three, she started singing with her father on the stage at the local theatre, between the first and second shows. And later, )you’ve already guessed it) she changed her name to Judy Garland, whom you know as the film and TV icon.

“I hope that every 4-H boy and girl can experience a similar thrill by making someone happy or healthy, producing something, becoming somebody or doing something useful and worthwhile. That’s why we use the term 4-H WORK. It implies service and usefulness. Also, that’s why 4-H should be kept flexible — so that local leaders, parents and 4-H members can shape and fit it to local needs and problems. How fortunate that our 4-H ‘project outline and requirements’ for the heifer program was flexible enough to market the milk from ‘Toots’ in a very unusual way for six months. That’s the way it must always be in 4-H, so we can always say ‘When ‘A Star is Born’ — 4-H helped to raise it to the sky.'”

1890 4-H History Initiative Started

Posted on by

On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, Dr. Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, and L. Washington Lyons, Administrator of the 1890 Association, met with staff at the National 4-H Council to review the rich history of the 1890 Land Grant Institutions.One of the outcomes of these discussions was the need to document and share the rich 1890 history using 21st century media.

Foster_Lyons

In the coming months, the 4-H History Preservation team and the 1890 leadership will explore joint activities for getting 4-H youth involved in helping 1890 4-H alumni to document the Extension and 4-H memories.Continued discussion with Georgia 1890 4-H leader, Woodie Hughes, and others will design efforts where 4-H youth will produce some multi-media products that will document 1890 4-H History.