National 4-H uniforms, although currently not used widely throughout the country, bring a visual message about the time when they were created and worn. In 1976 a number of states recreated 4-H uniforms to show how 4-H had grown with the country. As 4-H plans for the celebration of the act which created Cooperative Extension, it seems like a good time to bring them out again. Therefore, it’s most appropriate that the 4-H History Preservation team is beginning to writ about the history of uniforms to appear on the 4-H History Preservation website.

Jan Scholl, Pennsylvania State 4-H staff, jump-started this research when she developed a poster which was introduced at the 2009 NAE4-HA Conference in Rochester, NY. With her knowledge and experience, she was a natural to head up the creation of a written version of the program. We hope to have an abbreviated history on the website before the end of this year and the comprehensive version up by the end of 2013.

The History Preservation team is delighted that we recently found correspondence concerning the uniforms which dated from 1917 to 1971, which helps us to piece together the dates and times as well as reasons that the styles and fabrics were chosen for the uniforms during the fifty plus years that an official National 4-H uniform existed.

Sue Benedetti and Jan share leadership for this section of the website, assisted by Eleanor L. Wilson and Kendra Wells. We are also ecstatic to welcome as volunteers to the team, two former Simplicity Pattern Company 4-H Stylists; Madeleine Green and Eleanor Berry.

Any information leading to actual uniforms or patterns that are still in existence would be appreciated. Contact us at: info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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