Week 9 4-H and FFA History

Overview

“To practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities, and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess” (National FFA Organization, 2012c). 

This excerpt from the official FFA Opening Ceremony describes what FFA members do when they get together to hold an official FFA chapter meeting. More importantly, it encapsulates the meaning of FFA to thousands of American youth enrolled in agricultural education. From the organization’s official beginning in 1928 to today, millions of young people have benefited socially, emotionally, and professionally from participating in the FFA experience. The FFA’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success (National FFA Organization, 2012c). This mission is manifested in the leadership programs, Career Development Events, scholarship programs, and community development programs offered to FFA members at the local, state, and national levels. The purpose of this lesson is to provide the historical background of the development of the FFA Organization.

No organization devoted more time to developing sustainable farming practices than 4-H and its precursors - the corn and tomato clubs.  Farmers were not accepting the best agricultural production practices in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Young people, however, were more open to trying new things. The early 4-H Clubs introduced new agricultural technology to farms and communities across the US. 

The Lesson

Boys and Girls Clubs for Rural Youth

The movement to develop organizations for agricultural youth began at the turn of the twentieth century. There is some question as to when boys' and girls' agricultural clubs were established in the United States. A. B. Graham organized boys' and girls' clubs in January 1902 in the Springfield Township School community in Clark County, Ohio. Club meetings were held once per month in an assembly room of the county building. These were corn clubs. Later, the clubs were broadened to include vegetable projects.

 Another possibility is that W.B. Otwell created the first boys and girls clubs in agriculture in Macopin County, Illinois. Otwell created a corn yield contest for local boys to encourage attendance at farmer’s institutes. Farmers were normally reluctant to attend these training institutes, but the corn yield competitions sparked their interest. The first year’s contest involved 500 boys. There is also evidence that the first boys club may have been organized in Holmes County, Mississippi, by W.H. Smith, the local school superintendent. Agricultural clubs for girls sprang up in South Carolina in 1910.

Agricultural clubs were incorporated into public schools to provide social interaction among youth and encourage their interest in academic subjects. These early school clubs were highly organized, with monthly meetings focused on agricultural subjects. J.B. Berry (1924) reported that elementary children participated in junior project clubs. In his handbook on agricultural education, Berry (1924) discussed the important role of the schoolteacher in advising and the clubs' activities. Berry said, “The wise teacher utilizes pupil activities to as great extent as possible, thereby developing leadership qualities in pupils” (Berry, 1924, p. 196).

As you may guess, your instructor for this course has more knowledge of FFA than 4-H. The following resources does a good job of explaining the basic history of 4-H. Compared to FFA, 4-H is a more comprehensive organization regarding youth development. Please view the following video:

The following publication provides a view of 4-H activities in the 1930s and 1940s. Browse through the contents.

One of the most notable efforts to begin an organization was in Virginia. Walter S. Newman, state supervisor for agricultural education in Virginia, was a pioneer in the development of FFA. He believed that the rural farm boys were not getting the same opportunities for personal growth and advancement as their city-bred counterparts. The isolation inherent to farm life made it difficult for farm youth to experience the cultural and social life so readily available to urban youth. This isolation bred discontent and stunted the development of a positive self-image in farm youth. Newman believed that some type of organization was necessary to provide opportunities for personal advancement and the growth of self-confidence in rural farm youth. In 1925, he joined with colleagues Henry C. Groseclose, Edmund Magill, and H. W. Sanders in developing the Future Farmers of Virginia.

Before the creation of FFA, regional and national livestock and dairy judging activities provided opportunities for competition among agriculture students. In 1926, federal agricultural education officials reached an agreement with the American Royal Livestock Show to host a livestock judging contest in Kansas City, Missouri. Later that same year, the National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students was also established in Kansas City, Missouri. This three-day convention included tours of local agricultural businesses, banquets, and meetings designed to encourage students to learn more about the agricultural industry.

Before the creation of FFA, regional and national livestock and dairy judging activities provided opportunities for competition among agriculture students. In 1926, federal agricultural education officials reached an agreement with the American Royal Livestock Show to host a livestock judging contest in Kansas City, Missouri. Later that same year, the National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students was also established in Kansas City, Missouri. This three-day convention included tours of local agricultural businesses, banquets, and meetings designed to encourage students to learn more about the agricultural industry.

Future Farmers of America Formed

By 1928, the movement for a national agricultural youth organization had grown so strong that the Federal Board for Vocational Education was asked to assist in the development of the youth organization, its governance structure, and its bylaws. The National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students and the American Royal Rodeo and Livestock Show also included a special convention held for the purposes of establishing the Future Farmers of America.

On November 20, 1928, 33 delegates from 18 states officially adopted the constitution and bylaws of the new organization and elected Leslie Applegate of New Jersey as the national president. C. H. Lane was chosen to serve as the National FFA Advisor, and Henry C. Groseclose was elected to serve as the Executive Secretary / Treasurer. The old Baltimore Hotel where the organization was founded is no longer standing, but a monument erected by the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, to honor the establishment of FFA in that city exists on the site of the hotel. Until 1999, the National FFA Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri.

Expansion of FFA

As the National FFA Organization grew, it became necessary to develop more effective business practices to keep pace with the needs of a growing number of members. Delegates to the 1938 National FFA Convention set aside funding to establish an FFA camp. In the process of doing this, they also created a Board of Trustees to oversee the construction and development of this camp and subsequent properties. In 1939, these funds were used to purchase 25.5 acres of land in Alexandria, Virginia, for the national FFA camp. This property, once owned by George Washington, was to serve as the headquarters of FFA for 59 years. The National FFA Foundation, Inc., was established in 1944 to support the activities, programs, and services of the National FFA Organization. In 1948, the National FFA Supply Service opened its doors on the Alexandria property, providing official FFA jackets and other paraphernalia for FFA members and chapters.

In 1952, the National Future Farmer Magazine began publication and all FFA members received it as part of their membership benefits. In 1953, The United States Postal Service honored the FFA with a special commemorative postage stamp. In 1959, a new headquarters building was constructed on the site of the old national FFA camp.

By the 1960s, FFA was maturing as an organization. Many new programs and services were being offered to its members, but the social climate of America had progressed to the point where it was impossible for FFA to continue to limit its membership to farm boys. In 1965, FFA and New Farmers of America (NFA) merged to become one organization. In 1969, girls were officially admitted to FFA membership, even though they had been unofficial members for years. One method by which FFA advisors were able to secure FFA membership for girls before 1969 was to list only their first initials and last names on the official FFA roster. The National FFA Organization was none the wiser that a certain “G. Bradley” of a local FFA chapter in North Carolina was actually a female agriculture student, Genie Bradley. Numerous such cases exist in the history of the FFA organization.

In 1971, the National FFA Alumni Association was established to encourage friends of FFA to continue their support of FFA through their time and resources.

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of rapid change for the National FFA Organization. In 1988, delegates at the National FFA Convention, in an effort to reflect the diverse nature of FFA members, changed the name of the Future Farmers of America to the National FFA Organization. In 1989, the National Future Farmer became FFA New Horizons, and in 1996, the National FFA Board of Directors voted to move the National FFA Convention to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1999 and the National FFA Center to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1998. In 1998, Public Law 81-740 was replaced by provisions in Public Law 105-225 to meet more accurately the future needs of the National FFA Organization. The convention location alternates between the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky.

The New Farmers of America

The New Farmers of America (NFA) was the companion organization to FFA that served black Americans from 1926 to 1965. NFA was established during the winter of 1926 in Virginia at the urging of Dr. Walter S. Newman, state supervisor of agricultural education, and Dr. H. O. Sargent of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Sargent’s primary responsibility for the Federal Board was to coordinate agricultural education programs for black students. Both Newman and Sargent recognized the need for an organization for black students, and in May 1927, the New Farmers of Virginia held its first state convention in Petersburg, Virginia. In 1935, after forming a national organization out of the various state associations of New Farmers, the New Farmers of America held its first national convention at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

The New Farmers of America was in most regards very similar to the Future Farmers of America. Both organizations had similar contest and award programs, degree programs, emblems, leadership development programs, business operations, and student leadership structures. The adult leadership for both NFA and FFA was provided through the Federal Board for Vocational Education.

For many black Americans, the New Farmers of America added dignity to pursuing agricultural occupations. While the United States struggled through years of segregation and the American education establishment operated under the concept of “separate but equal” schools, NFA offered young black students the incentive to pursue agricultural careers while building their self-confidence and technical skills. Both NFA and FFA served their respective clientele for many years.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965 also marked the end of the coexistence of NFA and FFA. Both organizations merged into a single organization just as schools across America were desegregating. The merger was not easy. Members of NFA were proud of their heritage and felt they had the most to lose in the merger. Many NFA members feared they would not receive adequate recognition and representation in the National FFA Organization (Wakefield & Talbert, 2000). State and federal leaders worked together to make the transition work, and at the National FFA Convention in 1965, the two organizations became one. As of 2010, Some would say that NFA members were justified in their concerns. Today, fewer black students are involved in agricultural education and FFA nationwide than there were before the merger of the two organizations.

The following two presentations provide more information about FFA and NFA History.   Following this is a presentation by Arch Smith on the History of Georgia 4-H.

60-Minute Assignment - FFA and 4-H History Trivia 

Many of the students in this class have some interest or experience with the FFA and 4-H.  Please take a moment to share one interesting bit of trivia you know for certain, or an item of trivia you picked up from the readings this week, or from a web search. So please click here to add your knowledge to the class discussion. This link opens a Google Doc for you to add your "two cents worth."