Category Archives: History

Folks Who Helped Make 4-H Great
Dr. E. W. Aiton

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In coming months we will feature short bios of ten people who were selected by professional Extension workers in 1962 as having made significant contributions to the 4-H program: people who “helped make 4-H great.” The original series was first published in 1962 in National 4-H News and is reprinted here. To select the individuals to be featured, National 4-H News “…asked more than 30 veteran 4-H workers to send us their list of the ‘top ten’ contributors. We tallied the results and chose the ten people mentioned most often …” From a historical perspective, these individuals are the ones to whom 4-H owes its creativity and dynamism, its solid and experiential education principles, its enduring strength. These are the ones on whose shoulders this remarkable youth development proudly stands today.

This series stands as a tribute to those visionary leaders to whom we are greatly indebted.

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

E_W_Aiton

Drawing from February, 1962 National 4-H News.

There is no doubt in observers’ minds as to the contributions which Dr. E. W. Aiton has made to the youth movement which has been so much a part of his life. Testaments to his vision and determination are plentiful in today’s 4-H program.

What is the background that has led this man to his being named in a list of ten people who have contributed so much to 4-H? For one thing, a 4-H career that has included every level of 4-H work: member, junior leader, adult leader (even at this time), county Extension worker, state and federal 4-H staff member.

Starting as a farm boy in Minnesota, Aiton moved steadily up the professional ladder. In 1960, after serving eight years as the first director of 4-H Club and YMW (Young Men and Women’s) Programs in the Federal Extension Service, he was appointed assistant administrator of the FES (Federal Extension Service).

The marks of Dr. Aiton’s influence are present in many places in 4-H. One is in the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) program, which he helped to found while he was Northeastern regional 4-H field agent in Washington, D. C., from 1944 to 1950. New York State 4-H Club Leader Al Hoefer and a group of 4-H’ers journeyed to Washington with an international program in mind, and Aiton was assigned to help them. The result: IFYE.

The National 4-H Club Center is another monument to Aiton’s ability to organize, then carry out a needed project. During a stint as executive director of the National 4-H Club Foundation (from 1950 to 1952), he initiated many services to 4-H as well as pushing the planning of the widely-used Center.

As the first director of the Division of 4-H and YMW Programs, Aiton wielded a great influence on club work nationally. His efforts helped increase public understanding of 4-H. (During his Extension career in Minnesota, he once served as state Extension editor.) He helped clarify the working relationship between the national policy-making group in 4-H and its parent Extension committee. He contributed to building the role of state 4-H Club leaders as professional educators. He developed the status of local 4-H leaders and blazed trails in their training and development. (He is co-author of the book “Leadership in Action in Rural Communities.) 1 Young Men and Women’s 2 Federal Extension Service

Other 4-H areas promoted by Aiton and felt directly by 4-H Club members include: · Citizenship as the main goal of 4-H Club work, rather than merely the learning of skills. · An adjustment to the changing membership of 4-H – that is, an expansion of the program to include more activities for urban and suburban members. · Emphasis on 4-H’ers understanding international affairs and relating them to club activities. · Development of literature, training meetings, etc., tailored to fit the development needs of members at different ages and with different problems. · Strengthening or working relations with many youth groups such as the Boy Scouts of America and others. ED NOTE: The auditorium of the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is named in memory of Dr. Aiton.

 

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NAE4-HA Attendees Map Their 4-H History

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

4-H educators nominated new locations for the National 4-H History Map at the recent National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) meeting in Portland, Oregon. Visitors to the 4-H History Preservation Program Exhibit viewed the 119 locations currently posted to the Map , and those 4-H educators nominated new locations for the National 4-H History Map at the recent National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) meeting in Portland, Oregon. Visitors to the 4-H History Preservation Program Exhibit viewed the 119 locations currently posted to the Map , and those who wanted to add a site filled out a form and put a green pin into that location on the paper map. On return home, 4-H educators will work with youth and adults to round up old photos, clippings, related web sites, that will make their historical 4-H location more interesting to the internet users of the 4-H History Map, as they travel across the United States.

4-H_Map_Pinning

These nominations are the first steps in the process of getting countless historically significant 4-H sites documented on the growing, internet-based atlas of 4-H history. Forty-four 4-H educators from 27 states (AZ, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TX, WV, and WY) committed to grow a history mapping effort in their state and will get youth  and adults involved in identifying historically significant 4-H locations in their communities.

These new state 4-H Map teams will identify locations to be nominated, reviewed, approved, and loaded into the interactive National 4-H History Map. Reviewers and approvers will follow up with the nominators to get more complete information, such as photo/video/text, on the points of interest (POI) before the sites will be posted to the 4-H History Map..

It’s easy to join in this effort. Putting up a US or state map at a 4-H event attended by 4-H teens, volunteers, staff, and alumni, who know 4-H sites that should be documented, is a very effective way of recruiting new suggestions for your area to take a rightful place on this 4-H History Map. In Portland, it was important to have attendants that were excited about the project so that they could build interest and collect contact information from those who express interest in getting involved.

Maryland and Texas have committed to events in November to increase the number of locations and points of interest documented on the Map.

  • Dwayne Murphey, Maryland State 4-H History Map leader, has an event planned for the Maryland Teen and Volunteer Forum in Ocean City. They’ll use the same props (foam poster board, US Map, with pins to indicate locations) which proved effective at NAE4-HA.
  • Dr. Tamra McGaughy, 4-H Educator in Dallas County, TX, will be working with the state 4-H office to further the project. She stated, “This will be an awesome opportunity for 4-H youth to learn.

Think about sites/locations/points of interest that could be nominated from your community, county or state. Also help in the search for old photos/video/texts that will enhance the value of the points of interest which you propose to be documented.

Every month, new sites/locations will be added to the “smart phone accessible version” of the map, for  use by 4-H families traveling across the U. S. So join the effort to get members, leaders and alumni to participate. It is your 4-H history!

4-H_Map_Project
Try out the online version of the 4-H History Map at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History_Map

For more information on the 4-H History Map project contact Tom Tate at tateace@aol.com or Jason Rine at Jason.Rine@mail.wvu.edu

 

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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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Sir Thomas Lipton Honors Top 4-H Achievement Winners

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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/

Sir Thomas Lipton, c. 1909

Sir Thomas Lipton, c. 1909

In parallel to the top National 4-H Leadership boy and girl awards, in 1928 a top 4-H boy and a top 4-H girl were selected at National 4-H Congress for overall high honors in 4-H Achievement.

The program was created by the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work in consort with the 4-H Office of USDA. It was sponsored by Sir Thomas Lipton, a Scotsman who was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1898, had become a multimillionaire tea merchant, emigrating to America and establishing his business in New Jersey. He died in 1931 at the age of 81, however Lipton Tea was to become the tea trade’s largest worldwide success throughout the course of the twentieth century. After the death of Sir Thomas Lipton the award for the top boy and girl in the National 4-H Achievement Awards Program became recipients of the President’s trophy, given annually in the name of the President of the United States with each winner also receiving a scholarship. In the beginning this trophy was referred to as the Roosevelt trophy, however during the 1940s it became known as the President’s trophy. Like the Leadership top honors, the two top annual 4-H achievement winners garnered much media coverage and publicity.

For more information on the National 4-H Achievement Awards and a listing of all winners, see the National 4-H Presidential Winners segment on the 4-H history website at
http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/National_Recognition/Presidential_Winners/#AD2

 

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4-H History Preservation Newsletter
December 2015

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Head, Heart, Hands, Health and Holidays! Between November 1 and January 15, there are about 29 holidays observed by seven of the world’s major religions. 4-H’ers don’t take a holiday, as many of them are busy bringing holiday happiness to their communities in myriad ways. What an eventful season!


President Truman and 4-H

It became an annual event, the presentation of a report on 4-H’s annual accomplishments to the President. In 1950, 4-H Reporters traveled to the White House courtesy of Chicago’ Stevens Hotel, later re-named the Conrad Hilton and scene of the annual National 4-H Congress for years.


Fifth in the series

A. G. Kettunen is featured as one of the pioneers selected in 1962 who “helped make 4-H great.” He was state 4-H leader in Michigan, a strong supporter of IFYE, a 4-H camping enthusiast and First Chairman of the National 4-H Club Foundation.


December dates in 4-H history

December 5, 1924, was the first National 4-H “Style Show” at 4-H Congress. On December 26, 1936, 4-H reached a significant milestone. Any guesses?


1935 Parade of National 4-H Congress Delegates at the National Livestock Exposition. This was its eleventh year.

1935 Parade of National 4-H Congress Delegates at the National Livestock Exposition. This was its eleventh year.


Maryland 4-H maps its history

The National 4-H History Map expands with significant historical sites across the country. Though still missing sites from a few states, the Map will soon include many sites from Maryland, as nominated by leaders and junior leaders as a result their annual meeting.


4-H’er wins international show

A 12 year old Iowa 4-H’er exhibited the grand champion steer at the 1928 International Livestock Exposition, the largest livestock show in the world. The champion steer, named Dick, sold for a record price and was purchased by someone who would become one of 4-H’s most generous donors.


Record memories in the holidays

“Voices of 4-H History” and the annual 4-H FilmFest offer splendid opportunities to record and exhibit treasured memories of 4-H in your family and community. There’s no better time to capture those memories



Whichever of the 29 holidays you observe during this joyous time of the year, enjoy it; and

enjoy this issue.

The Moses Trophy
Top Leadership Award

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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/



Horace A. Moses


Beginning in 1924 the top 4-H Leadership award, winner of the prestigious Moses trophy, was considered the top award in 4-H. Presented at National 4-H Congress, initially there was a single winner, however after three years, there was both a boy winner and a girl winner selected. The annual announcement of these winners brought national promotion to 4-H from coast to coast with coverage in movie newsreels, on national radio broadcasts and in newspaper and magazine features.


The Moses trophies (there were two) were travelling trophies with each of the annual winners getting to retain the trophy for one year before it was traditionally passed on to the new winners. The trophies were presented in the name of Horace A. Moses, President of the Strathmore Paper Company and a member of the board of the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work.


He also sponsored the 4-H Leader Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts and funded the Horace A. Moses Building at the Eastern States Exposition. Beginning in the 1930s, the winners also received scholarships provided by Edward Foss Wilson, the son of Thomas E. Wilson. In approximately 1961, the top winners received trays presented in the name of the President of the United States instead of the trophies. But… one of the mysteries of 4-H history continues to remain today – what happened to the two prestigious traveling Moses trophies? The National 4-H History Preservation leadership Team continues to search for these trophies so they can once again be displayed at the national level.


A notable “first” in 4-H history is the very first winner of the famous H. A. Moses trophy, awarded in the National 4-H Leadership program to Ford Mercer of Wellston, Oklahoma.


For more information on the National 4-H Leadership Program and a listing of all winners at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/National_Recognition/Presidential_Winners/#AD1

 

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Peter Max 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/



Peter Max, one of America’s most renowned pop artists, known for his use of psychedelic shapes and colors, partnered with 4-H in the mid-1970s to create a Peter Max scarf designed exclusively for 4-H. The colorful design represented love, joy and health through the symbols of head, heart and hands in peaceful motion capped off with four-leaf clovers. The 28″ x 27″ scarf was made of Polyester and sold through the National 4-H Supply Service. Virginia Ogilvy, Extension clothing specialist with USDA and Fern Kelley, from the federal 4-H Extension staff, worked directly with Peter Max on the project.


Peter_Max_Scarf


 

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Fannie Buchanan
Writer of 4-H Songs

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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/

Fannie_Buchanan

Fannie Buchanan earned a degree in music from Grinnell College, Iowa. During World War I, she organized music and recreation activities with War Camp Community Service. Eventually she joined the Victor Talking Machine Company as a Rural Specialist. As she traveled, she came in more contact with 4-H members and leaders and became involved in the 4-H music program and the needs of 4-H members.

She strongly felt that one of these needs was an appreciation for music and singing. During the early 1930s Miss Buchanan authored a column on music appreciation in the National 4-H Club News magazine. She became the first Iowa State Music Extension Specialist in 1930.

Fannie Buchanan wrote the words to five 4-H songs, set to music by her college friend Rena Parish, including “The Plowing Song” dedicated to farm boys and “Dreaming” that captured the daydreams of 4-H girls that she met during her cross country travels. These two songs were introduced at the National 4-H Club Camp in 1927.

These two songs were followed by “A Song for Health” in 1929, the “4-H Friendship Song” in 1932, and “The 4-H Field Song” in 1933. The National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work (now National 4-H Council) published all five of Miss Buchanan’s songs. The members of the Federal Extension Service and National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work helped to carry her songs throughout the country and encouraged their singing by 4-H clubs. In 1941 Fannie Buchanan authored an Extension music publication entitled, “Music of the Soil.” Miss Buchanan received a citation for distinguished service at the 1941 National 4-H Club Camp and recognition at the closing assembly of the 1944 National 4-H Club Congress.

Miss Buchanan lived in Grinnell, Iowa where she died in 1957 at the age of 82.

 

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America’s Highest Scoring Air Ace in World War II was a 4-H’er

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

Richard_I_BongMajor Richard I. Bong grew up on a farm in Poplar, Wisconsin, as one of nine children, a member of a strong 4-H family, as noted in a feature in National 4-H Club News. While at Superior State Teachers College, Dick Bong enlisted in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. One of his flight instructors was Capt. Barry Goldwater (later U. S. Senator from Arizona). He received his wings and commission as second lieutenant on January 19, 1942, only weeks after the U.S. declared war on Japan. Dick Bong became the United States’ highest scoring ace, having shot down at least 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II [Surpassing Eddie Rickenbacker’s American record of 26 credited victories in World War I.] Bong was a fighter pilot in the U. S. Army Air Force and a recipient of the Medal of Honor, at a special ceremony in December, 1944, from General Douglas MacArthur.

Near the end of the war, Major Bong became a test pilot assigned to Lockheed’s Burbank, California, plant, where he flew P-80 Shooting Star jet fighters. On August 6, 1945, his plane’s primary fuel pump malfunctioned and Dick Bong was killed; news of his death shared headlines in newspapers across the country with the bombing of Hiroshima. Bong is well remembered and memorialized in several settings: the Richard Bong State Recreation Area on the old site of Bong Air Force Base in Kenosha County, Wisconsin; the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota; Richard I. Bong Airport and Richard I. Bong Veteran Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin; Richard I. Bong Bridge in Townsville, Australia; Richard Bong Theater in Misawa, Japan; as well as streets and avenues with his name in Glendale, Arizona, Anchorage, Alaska, Spokane, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, Mount Holly, New Jersey, and Okinawa, Japan.

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

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.

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 operations in the Vietnam War from 1968-1972.]

 

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E. T. Meredith
Early Supporter of 4-H Brings Visibility

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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/


E.T.Meredith
 

As a teenager, Edwin Meredith worked for his grandfather’s newspaper, “The Farmers Tribune.” It was heavily in debt and the grandfather gave young Meredith controlling interest in the publication as a wedding gift, which he turned around and sold for a profit. With the proceeds, in 1902, at the age of 25, he started E. T. Meredith Publishing Company with his own publication, the “Successful Farming” magazine. Meredith Publishing Company became a publishing empire including such magazines as Better Homes and Gardens,” “Ladies Home Journal,” “Country Life,” “Family Circle” and “Parents,” plus owning a string of both radio and television stations across America.

E. N. Hopkins joined Successful Farming magazine in 1916. Already a committed enthusiast for boys and girls club work, by 1917 Hopkins had inspired E. T. Meredith to offer a $250,000 loan fund [value of over $5 million in 2015] to farm youngsters to start a business for themselves. Over the years, Meredith made over 10,000 loans to club members so they could buy purebred livestock or hybrid seed corn or any number of other farm and home project requests, pledging only their character as collateral. These low rate loans for $10, $20 or $50 were almost always paid off by the due date, if not before. The loans were always made directly to the boy or girl, not to their parents, and were officially set up as a contract between the youth and Mr. Meredith. The hundreds of stories and testimonials Mr. Meredith received from the loan recipients made him a strong supporter of boys and girls club work and its potential. Additionally, it brought the parents “on board” and served as an example picked up by hundreds of local bankers and other businessmen across the country who also started making loans directly to 4-H members.

Also, with the urging of E. N. Hopkins, Meredith Publishing started a national monthly magazine “for farm boys and girls and the federal club work,” expanding upon a youth section that had been initiated during 1916 in “Successful Farming.” Originally called “Junior Soldiers of the Soil,” the name of the original 1916 column, the new magazine’s volume 1, number 1 was issued in January 1919. The publication name quickly was changed to Farm Boys and Girls Leader and Club Achievements” by the July 1919 issue, and later on to just “Farm Boys and Girls Leader.”

The subscription publication was billed as the only paper published exclusively for farm boys and girls. The publication carried many local news stories, excellent features, and hundreds of testimonials from the young Meredith loan recipients, or from their parents, letting Mr. Meredith know what a value the loan had meant. It is believed that the September 1922 issue may have been the last one published. However, if it had not been for these issues of the Meredith Publishing magazines, much of the history of 4-H for these years would, indeed, be unknown.

Edwin T. Meredith was always interested in politics, running for statewide office in Iowa twice. During the same period as the issuing of the “Farm Boys and Girls Leader” publication, in January of 1920, Meredith became President Woodrow Wilson’s Secretary of Agriculture.

Edwin T. Meredith was a strong supporter for the creation of the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work to help supplement public dollars for Extension with funding and programs from businessmen in the private sector. He served as the first president of the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work, predecessor to National 4-H Council, from 1921-1924. Meredith continued to serve as a member of the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work until 1927. Early in 1924 Meredith allowed his name to be put forward as Iowa’s favorite son at the Democratic Convention. Early in 1928, he was considered as a Democratic nominee for President, however his health began to fail and he died that same year, at his home on June 17 at the age of 51.

Edwin T. Meredith, with support from staff member E. N. Hopkins, provided the young 4-H movement tremendous visibility over a relatively short period of time, and opened up doors for other support that otherwise may never had been opened. Between the Meredith loan fund and the creation of the first national publication for rural boys and girls club work, plus being Secretary of Agriculture and the first president of the National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work, he brought public relations and visibility of 4-H to a whole new level. The Meredith Foundation and the Meredith family continue support of 4-H today at state and national levels.

 

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