National FFA History
History of the National FFA Organization
Founded in 1928, the Future Farmers of America brought together students, teachers and agribusiness to solidify support for agricultural education. In Kansas City's Baltimore Hotel, 33 young farmboys charted a course for the future. They could not have foreseen how the organization would grow and thrive.
Since 1928, millions of agriculture students - no one knows exactly how many - have donned the official FFA jacket and championed the FFA creed. FFA has opened its doors and its arms to minorities and women, ensuring that all students could reap the benefits of agricultural education.
Today, the National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Now, the organization is expanding the nation's view of "traditional" agriculture and finding new ways to infuse agriculture into the classroom.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the National FFA Organization please visit the "history" section on their website here.
FFA History Timeline:
1917 - Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act was passed, thereby establishing vocational courses (Sen. Hoke Smith and Rep. Dudley Hughes both
representing Georgia in the U.S. Congress are the sponsors. President Woodrow Wilson signs the act into law on Feb. 23, 1917)
1925 - Virginia Tech agricultural education teacher educators Henry Groseclose, Harry Sanders and Edmund C. Magill and Virginia state supervisor of agricultural education Walter S. Newman meet to discuss an organization for boys in agriculture classes. The Future Farmers of Virginia would serve as the model for the Future Farmers of America
1927 - G.W. Owens, teacher trainer at Virginia State College, and Dr. H.O. Sargent, federal agent for agricultural education for African Americans, U.S. Office of Education, write the first constitution and bylaws of the New Farmers of Virginia, an organization for African American agriculture students.
1928 - Future Farmers of America is established in Kansas City, Missouri
1928 - First National FFA Convention held in Kansas City, Missouri; attended by 33 delegates from 18 states
1929 - At the 2nd National FFA Convention in November 1929, 33 states are represented by 64 delegates (35 state associations with approximately 1,500 chapters and 30,00 members are now affiliated with the national organization)
1929 - National blue and corn gold established as official colors
1929 - The Start Farmer of America award –one of the first awards created by FFA- is presented to Carlton Patton of Arkansas
1930 - Official FFA Creed written by E.M. Tiffany is adopted by the National FFA Organization
1930 - First Official Dress uniform was adopted (dark blue skirt, blue or white pants, blue cap, and yellow tie)
1930 - Delegates restrict membership to boys only
1933 - Blue corduroy jacket adopted as Official Dress
1935 - Harrisville FFA Chapter Chartered
1935 - Active FFA membership exceeds 100,000 members
1942 - During World War II, when tens of thousands of FFA members are serving in the armed services, national FFA conventions are streamlined events where only delegates and award winners attend. In 1942, just 217 people attend the convention
1944 - Future Farmers of America Foundation was formed
1944 - 138,548 FFA members are serving in the armed services in World War II
1944 - First National FFA Agriculture Proficiency Award is presented for Agricultural Mechanics
1947 - First National FFA Band performed at the National FFA Convention
1948 - First FFA Chorus and National FFA Talent program is held at the national FFA convention
1948 - National FFA Supply Service begins operation
1948 - Delegates approve the first international exchange program between FFA members and Young Farmers of Great Britain
1948 - Record jump in membership from 238,269 in 1947 to 260,300 in 1948; so many members (approx. 10,000) attend the 21st National FFA Convention in Kansas City that a folding-cot hotel is set up in the basement of the Municipal Auditorium
1948 - First National FFA Week is celebrated during the week of George Washington’s birthday
1950 - A bill is passed by the 81st Congress of the United States that grants FFA a federal charter and specifies that a U.S. Department of Education staff member be the national FFA advisor. On Aug. 30, President Harry S. Truman signs the bill, and it becomes Public Law 81-740
1952 - First issue of The National Future Farmer was published
1953 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to speak at a National FFA Convention
1957 - Former President Harry S. Truman speaks during the national FFA convention
1961 - Alcona FFA Chapter Chartered
1965 - New Farmers of America merges with the Future Farmers of America
1968 - Presidential candidate Richard Nixon attends the national FFA convention in Kansas City
1969 - Girls are permitted to join the FFA, making it possible for them to hold office and participate in competitive events at regional and national levels
1969 - First National Star in Agribusiness, Ken Dunagan from Arizona, is named
1969 - FFA Washington Conference (now called Washington LeadershipConference, or WLC) begins
To view more Michigan State Officer Team past photos please visit the Michigan Past State Officer Alumni facebook page here
Pictured: Michigan's first State Officer Team (1929-1930)
1928 - Leslie Applegate of New Jersey is selected as the first national FFA president
1928 - State associations of the New Farmers of America form regional sections and hold sectional meetings
1929 - First Michigan FFA Officer Elections (May 2, 1929)
Pictured: First National FFA Convention - 1928
1972 - National FFA Alumni Association is chartered as an affiliate of the National FFA Organization
1973 - Official Dress standards are created
1974 - Fred McClure from Texas is the first African American elected to a national FFA office
1976 - Julie Smiley of Washington is the first female elected to a national FFA office
1976 - Alaska becomes the last of the 50 states to obtain a national charter
1978 - Richard Karsen Jr. receives the 1st American Degree for the Alcona FFA Chapter
1982 - Jan Eberly, California, becomes the first female national FFA president
1984 - Michigan FFA Foundation was founded at Michigan State University
1988 - Future Farmers of America changes its name to the National FFA Organization to represent the diverse and changing interests of members and reflect the expanded agricultural opportunities encompassing science, business and technology, in addition to production farming
1988 - FFA opens membership to seventh and eighth grade students
1989 - The National Future Farmer magazine changes its name to FFA New Horizons
1990 - Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS) program is launched
1991 - FFA chapters in the Virgin Islands and Guam, along with five chapters in Micronesia, are chartered
1994 - Corey Flournoy of Illinois is the first African American to be elected national FFA president; he is also the first urban student leader
1998 - Jose Santiago is elected to national office; he is the first member from Puerto Rico to serve as a national FFA officer
2002 - First female Star Farmer is named: Karlene Lindow, Wisconsin
2003 - Javier Moreno, Puerto Rico, is elected national FFA president; he becomes the first Puerto Rican and the first person with a native language other than English elected as national FFA president
2007 - National FFA Membership breaks the half-million mark with 500,823 members in 7,358 chapters
2009 - FFA celebrates the 40th anniversary of women being admitted into FFA
2012 - Alcona FFA Chapter places 1st in the state of Michigan for the Parliamentary Procedure Leadership Contest
Winning Team: Austin Gerard, Amanda Swinson, Caycee Ouillet, Nicole Wilt, Vickie Feltes and Shane Pinder
If you would like to learn more about the history of the National FFA Organization please visit the "history" section on their website here.