U.S. Presidents and 4-H

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During the 2015 National 4-H Conference eight 4-H’ers were guests of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on April 13 to share what their 4-H clubs are doing to tackle hunger in their communities. The group (l. to r.) are: Geneva Wright, Alaska; Gabrielle Parker, Maryland; Jacob Jensen, Utah; Kashawn Burke, Georgia; Kimberly Lopez, Idaho; Lorena Rivera, Idaho; Spencer Orr, Iowa and Andres Parra, Arizona. At the far right in the photo is Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. (photo by Pete Souza)

A tradition that has been going on for well over 100 years… On April 13, 2015, during National 4-H Conference, eight 4-H’ers visited President Obama in the Oval Office of the White House.

In 1912 a group of Southern Club Champions visited President William Howard Taft… and, every President between Taft and Obama has also been involved with 4-H.

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President William Howard Taft with Southern Club Champions in 1912. (Photo Courtesy of National Archives)

A section titled U.S. Presidents and 4-H is located on the National 4-H History Preservation website: http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com  It is not yet complete but has a number of documented stories about presidential involvement.

In 1922, Calvin Coolidge was the first president to be named an Honorary Chairman of the National Committee on Boys’ and Girls’ Club Work (later National 4-H Council). For several decades, successive presidents also accepted this honor. President Herbert Hoover wrote in his acceptance letter “The work of the 4-H Clubs is fundamental. It is bringing about a more economic production of all agricultural crops; it is improving rural homes; it is developing rural leadership, molding character and building citizenship.”

The first National 4-H Camp was held in front of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1927. Nearly every year, U.S. presidents hosted 4-H camp youth at the White House or visited them at the camp. This tradition continued after the camp became the National 4-H Center held at the National 4-H Center from 1959.

The Presidential Award, presented to the two top winners each in Achievement, Citizenship and Leadership, provided another opportunity for presidential involvement. Beginning in the 1930s the award was presented to the top leadership winners in the name of the President of the United States. The last 4-H Presidential Awards were presented in 1993.

From the 1950s into the 1970s, the 4-H Report to the Nation was presented to the President, other government leaders and 4-H partners during National 4-H Week and throughout the year. The 4-H Report to the Nation was an annual compilation of 4-H membership data, program highlights and photographs. The 4-H Report to the Nation Team usually presented the report to the President.

Presidents have been included in significant 4-H celebrations. President Dwight Eisenhower cut the ribbon that opened the National 4-H Center in 1959. President Richard Nixon addressed the delegates at the 50th National 4-H Congress in Chicago in 1971. During the national 4-H centennial celebration, President George W. Bush welcomed a delegation of 4-H members in the Oval Office, where he was presented with a National Friend of 4-H plaque.

Two 4-H’ers Share Their Experiences

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Back in the early days of 4-H many of the top achievers had lofty goals and were true leaders among their peers. They took full advantage of the newly created 4-H events – the camps, the judging contests, and National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago.

We are fortunate that some of these young members documented their thoughts and experiences. Two of them wrote books which have now been digitized and are in the Books Archives on the 4-H History Preservation website at http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com.

Kenneth Hinshaw, from Washington State, attended the 1926 National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago and was selected the national leadership champion, becoming a proud recipient of the Moses Trophy. Kenneth wrote a book, “4-H A Story” in 1935 weaving together actual 4-H experiences, historical sketches of Boys’ and Girls’ 4-H Club Work, and chronicles of important 4-H events.

And across the country, Charlie Goodwin, a young 4-H boy from Guilford, New York, wrote his autobiography, “A Dreamer and His Dreams,” in 1928. The story relates how Charlie started out with big dreams, but little resources, winning little by little until he was a top achiever and leader.

He attended many of the state and national judging events of the day, won a trip to Camp Vail and was a delegate to the first National 4-H Camp in Washington, DC, and a delegate to National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago the first year his state sent delegates.

The National 4-H History Preservation leadership team strongly suspects that there may be other printed documentation of 4-H’ers sharing their experiences, either in published form or unpublished manuscripts. If you know of other efforts of this nature that we could borrow to have digitized for the history website, we would like to hear about them. Write to: Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com.

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As shown in the Hinshaw book, a party of 4-H club members from Oregon, Washington and Idaho enroute to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago in 1926. Kenneth Hinshaw is standing on the left in the photo.

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Cover photo of Charlie Goodwin’s autobiography showing the proud author in his 4-H uniform.

National 4-H Conference (Continued from National 4-H Camp since 1959)

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Over 300 delegates and chaperones from 47 Land Grant Universities, Puerto Rico and Canada are attending the 2015 National 4-H Conference from April 11th to16th, at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. This is the 85th gathering of 4-H’ers in the nation’s capital since National 4-H Camp began in 1927.

The following story is from the National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility on the National 4-H History Website at http://4-HHistory.com/?h=4-H_Promotion

When National 4-H Camp was replaced by National 4-H Conference and moved to the National 4-H Center in 1959, definitely one thing changed: the living conditions were  considerably better! Historically, one of the overriding goals of creating a national “home” for 4-H in the nation’s capital was to accommodate National 4-H Conference. Mac McGarry, host of the popular high school quiz show “It’s Academic” hosted the first National 4-H Conference Clover Bowl. Participants answered questions about the history of the Constitution, 4-H, and of Washington, D.C. (Spring, 1987, National 4-H Council Quarterly) National 4-H Conference has remained a strong national 4-H event for nearly 60 years, and continues today, with the programs and experiences focused heavily on leadership and citizenship and providing “growth” experiences for the delegates. While some releases, delegate interviews and media coverage may take place, National 4-H Conference has never been a primary promotion or visibility event, per se.

Mac McGarry, host of the popular high school quiz show "It's Academic" hosted the first National 4-H Conference Clover Bowl. Participants answered questions about the history of the Constitution, 4-H, and of Washington, D.C. (Spring, 1987, National 4-H Council Quarterly)Mac McGarry, host of the popular high school quiz show “It’s Academic” hosted the first National 4-H Conference Clover Bowl. Participants answered questions about the history of the Constitution, 4-H, and of Washington, D.C. (Spring, 1987, National 4-H Council Quarterly)

The major exception to this is that often, through the years, the participating speakers and workshop presenters at National 4-H Conference have created enough promotion and visibility to merit classifying this event as a major promotion event. Traditionally, Conference planners often were not shy in asking the “top resources of Washington” to be on the Conference program. And, if their schedules allowed, they usually were happy to do
so. This would include U.S. Congressmen and women, Senators, Supreme Court Justices, national media representatives and leadership from the various departments of government, national organizations headquartered in Washington, and representatives from foreign embassies.

History Preservation Newsletter
April 2015

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Washington DC’s Cherry Blossoms are in bloom for National 4-H Conference!

It’s going on this week at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center. This is the 85th gathering of 4-H’ers in DC since National 4-H Camp started in 1927. 4-H members from across the country are meeting with their congressional delegations, testifying on Capitol Hill, and visiting the White House – all long-held National 4-H Conference traditions. (The National 4-H Calendar painting, at the right, documents a time in the early 1970s when 4-H Conference also coincided with the Cherry blossoms in full bloom.)

Map Your 4-H History

April 28 signals the debut of the “Map Your 4-H History” project wherein individuals, clubs, counties and states can nominate a historically important person, place or event on the National 4-H History Map. This geospatial project of the 4-H History Map Team is explained at

http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History_Map/

The explanation and the map go live starting April 28.

Wood County

Wood County, Ohio, has an active 4-H display program at the county Historical Museum. It’s a great example of what you can do to showcase your county’s 4-H history. The brief interview explains how it came to be – and possibilities of how you can make it happen in your area.

4-H in the Great Depression

New to the 4-H History website: “4-H in the Great Depression.” An important and meaningful story of how 4-H helped maintain threatened family farms in that troubled era. Read a capsule here and the entire story on the website.

FilmFest 2015

FilmFest 4-H is June 14-17 in St. Louis. The 4-H History Team supports this youth film-making project for the third consecutive year; the 4–H History category highlights films documenting 4-H memories of former members, staff and volunteers.

We don’t have a “Letters to the Editor” column (yet), but we welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions – even mild complaints – at Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Enjoy spring, and enjoy this issue … http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/Newsletter/

Another Walt Disney Film, “So Dear to My Heart”

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“So Dear to My Heart” by Walt Disney Productions rightly belongs in our 4-H film So_Dear_Cover_Lhistory archive. No, “4-H” is never mentioned in the full-length feature film… but, for good reason. The time period of the story presented was the year 1903 – long before the term “4-H” was being used. But the film tells the story of a young rural boy and his pet lamb and his goal of taking his project to the county fair and winning a blue ribbon. It parallels the stories and goals of thousands of young boys and girls across rural America shortly after the turn of the 20th Century in a movement that would later on be called “4-H.”Bobby Driscoll plays the part of young Jeremiah Kincaid who lives with his pious, hard-working grandmother, played by Academy Award-winning actress Beulah Bondi, on their farm near Fulton Corners, Indiana. Jeremiah was a young orphan. Burl Ives plays the part of “Uncle” Hiram Douglas, the village blacksmith, who often has to support young Jeremiah in easing the firm hand of Granny. Luana Patten plays the part of Tildy, Jeremiah’s young friend. Harry Carey is the head judge at the fair. Granny allows young Jeremiah to raise and look after a black lamb when its mother rejected it; a lamb which seems to have a way of getting into more trouble than necessary. It’s a good story with quality actors and music. A gem that should not be forgotten!

So_Dear_Poster_LAlthough the official world premiere of “So Dear to My Heart” took place on January 19, 1949 in Indianapolis, Indiana, a special premiere showing of the film took place nearly two months earlier, on November 29, 1948 when it was shown to the delegates of National 4-H Congress in Chicago. Bobby Driscoll was there at the Congress to greet the delegates.

Driscoll was a tremendously popular child star in the late 1940s and early 50s. He was the first actor Walt Disney put under contract to play the lead character in “Song of the South,” Disney’s first film that combined animation and live action. Now, he was starring in the second such film, “So Dear To My Heart.” He also starred as Jim Hawkins in Disney’s “Treasure Island” and was the voice of Peter Pan in the movie by the same name.

There were plans for “So Dear to My Heart” to be the So_Dear_Grandma_Lfirst all-live-action Disney film, however in the end the full length film (1 hour; 22 minutes) featured approximately 12 minutes of animation, primarily of the “Wise Old Owl” as he sings stories about David and Goliath, Christopher Columbus and others in order to encourage “Jeremiah” in his efforts to make his lamb a champion.

The film was the last screen appearance of longtime western actor Harry Carey, who died in September 1947, before the film was released.

The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song for the adaptation of the English folk song “Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly).” Other songs in the movie included: “It’s Whatcha Do with Whatcha Got,” “Ol’ So_Dear_Owl_LDan Patch,” “Stick-to-it-ivity,” “County Fair,” “Billy Boy,” and “So Dear to My Heart.” The film’s popular songs were recorded by a number of well-know singers, including Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee and Mel Torme. And, child actor Bobbie Driscoll received a special Oscar as the “outstanding juvenile actor” of 1949 for his work in this film and the RKO production “The Window.”

The film was based on the book, “Midnight and Jeremiah” by Sterling North, written in 1943. “So Dear to My Heart” was the film that directly inspired the creation of Disneylandia and, eventually, Disneyland.So_Dear_Fair_L

In addition to the National 4-H Congress premiere showing, the film was featured in advertisements in National 4-H News, the national magazine for volunteer leaders, for several issues around the time of its premiere. The film is available today on DVD.

American Dairy Association, 4-H and Disney Film Studios in Partnership

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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 — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

The American Dairy Association sponsored a WD_AF_AiD_F-5_w5inserial shown on the “Mickey Mouse Club’s” second season called “Adventure in Dairyland.” The series starred Disney actors Annette Funicello, Sammy Ogg, and Kevin Corcoran and also featured Midwestern actors Glen Graber, Fern Persons, Herb Newcomb, and Mary Lu Delmonte, as the McCandless family from Madison, Wisconsin. It was filmed on location at the Dr. Ira Sisk dairy farm in Verona, Wisconsin, while the cast and crew stayed at a hotel in Madison. Filming took place during June 1956, and when it was completed, Annette, Sammy and Kevin returned to California to start work on “Further Adventures of Spin and Marty.”

The eight episodes of the series are titled: “Off to Wisconsin,” “Moochie’s Escape,” “The Trouble with Pigs,” “The Runaway Tractor,” “The Case of the Deadly Paint Brush,” “The Turning Point,” “The Kids Take Over,” and “The Storm.” The Wisconsin filming involved 29 cast members which included 14 local 4-H members.
The advance crew, with four large trucks from the WD_AF_AiD_Cvr_w5inBurbank studio full of generators, cameras, kleig lights, costumes and props, arrived at the Sisk farm, overlooking the Sugar River, on June 4, 1956. Filming for the farm scenes commenced the second week of June, and wrapped up June 29.

 In the series, Jim McCandless and his wife have two teenagers, Jimmy and Linda, and little Moochie, plus their handyman, Paullie, who’s a bit of a character. Sammy and Annette take to their hosts right away, and soon settle into the routine of farm life. They meet Moochie’s pet chicken, admire Mrs. McCandless’s flower garden, and are amazed to see how Paullie yodels to call the cows into the barn for the night. Jimmy shows Sammy the machinery used for automatic cow milking, and they watch the local veterinarian cure a calf made sick by eating paint from Moochie’s forgotten brush. At a local 4-H meeting they try dancing the polka and enjoy the European folk singing.

The 8-program series originally ran on Disney in November of 1956, during the second season of The Mickey Mouse Club. Touting educational programming, one of the program features was to be an ongoing set of serials examining future careers for kids and the daily lives of those following such careers. The first series was about airline careers, “American Pilot, Airline Hostess,” sponsored by TWA. The American Dairy Association sponsored the second series. At the behest of the ADA the WD_AF_AiD_SqD_w5inseries was filmed in color, the only original production for the Mickey Mouse Club that was.

Disney stopped showing the series on The Mickey Mouse Club after the 1958-59 season and the film rights then transferred to the American Dairy Association, who made the series available to schools, 4-H and other interested groups through the Education Film Library Association for several years.. ADA also published a 16-page, color, storyboard booklet, “Adventure in Dairyland,” which was distributed free of charge.

History of National 4-H Youth Conference Center Added to Website

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History of National 4-H Youth Conference Center Added to Website

The first Draft of the History of the National 4-H Center was recently added to the 4-H History Preservation Website. Please take a look at
http://4-HHistory.com/?h=4-H_Center

There are many pieces of this history missing as much of it has been lost in the many construction projects and changes at the Center. The History Team would welcome any additions to complete this History by those who have worked or attended programs here over the past 55 years. Contact info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

Many people in our reading audience have visited and/or worked at the National 4-H Center (now the National 4-H Youth Conference Center); to all of them it is definitely more than a group of buildings. We asked one of those visitors/workers to tell us what it meant to him.

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1979 4-H Program Assistants at Citizenship Washington Focus make a human pyramid as part of their team building exercise.

The Center of it All

By Ron Drum, National 4-H Council and National 4-H History Preservation Team Member

It’s just 12.5 acres on Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, one mile north of the District of Columbia line and only seven miles north of the White House. It was originally built as an Inn in 1893, turned into a girls’ finishing school and, in the early 1950s when 4-H was looking for a national home, it became the location of that home. Purchased with money borrowed from a life insurance policy and paid off with the help of the nickels and dimes sent by 4-H’ers from across the country, those 12.5 acres became the national home of 4-H, the National 4-H Center.

Opened in 1959 by President Eisenhower, almost everyone who visits the place senses how special and important it is. I felt it the first time I visited. It’s now an oft-told-tale how, as a Citizenship Short Course delegate in 1973, I sat on the front steps of old Smith Hall and thought “I’m going to work here someday.” Even I could not have guessed that I’d actually return three times to do so.

I first returned in 1979 to serve as one of the first Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Program Assistants, the year Citizenship Short Course became CWF. By then things had changed. National 4-H Council had been created in 1976 by joining the National 4-H Service Committee with the National 4-H Foundation. Smith Hall had become J. C. Penney Hall, rebuilt with a sizeable gift from J. C. Penney. A new dormitory and conference room complex (Firestone, McCormick, and Kellogg Halls) now comprised the recreated campus; Turner and Warren Halls still stood to the left and right of J.C. Penney Hall as if guards.

The Supply Service stayed in Turner Hall. The Program Assistants (PAs) stayed in Warren Hall, named for Gertrude Warren, the first head of Girls Club Work at USDA. Twenty-eight early 20- somethings found ourselves living together for three months in that small building – I wonder what the fire marshal thought! I roomed with Thomas Tell Tyler Thompson from Tennessee in a basement bedroom. A little stream would flow through it whenever it rained – until they fixed the foundation.

Tyler, as he liked to be called, would open CWF each week by announcing, a la Harold Hill of The Music Man, “Now either you are closing your eyes to something you don’t wish to acknowledge or you are simply not aware of the caliber of opportunities awaiting you here at the National 4-H Center!”

In January 1980 I left Council to try my hand at 4-B in Botswana but returned again in 1981, welcomed back by Ray Crabbs and Francis Pressly; assigned to the staff of Jean Cogburn and John Allen. Although against policy, I began dating a co-worker named Phyllis Dupuis. We got around policy in 1983 by getting married; one of many such “connections made at the National 4-H Center (perhaps another story?).” It was during this time that Louise Kilpatrick told me, “If you want to be successful in Extension, you need to leave Council and work in a county. That is where the real work of 4-H occurs.” So, in 1984, I left Council to see if Louise was right.

As a 4-H Agent in Massachusetts, then a member of Maine’s 4-H staff, I had many happy occasions to return to the National 4-H Center with delegations to CWF, National 4-H Conference and other programs. However, it wasn’t until 2002 that I was able to return again as an employee – this time to coordinate the development and implementation of 4-H Afterschool under the direction of Dr. Eddie Locklear. Eddie retired and 4-H Afterschool became an essential vehicle for 4-H; my work continued with 4-H Science and grant management.

But when the day arrives that I leave for the third time, perhaps I’ll think of how Patti, one of the ‘79 PAs, expressed her feelings as she prepared to return home at the end of that summer, “It’s not like going home, it’s like leaving home. You’ve become family.” Leaving Council can be something like that. I know I’ll hear the words of Dot Emerson. As the ’79 PAs departed she said, “What I have learned from you would be like living in a foreign country. New ideas, new freedoms, nonsense, laughter, and enlightenment.” That is what being at the National 4-H Center is like.

The National 4-H Center. It’s just a few buildings located on 12.5 acres in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Yet it is so much more.

Partner with Us to Design a 4-H History Staff Development Component

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4-H has been at the forefront of experimental and experiential youth education since its very inception. Understanding the evolutionary history of 4-H has been shown to enhance the knowledge of this educational youth development base for both professional staff and volunteer leaders; hence our theme “Preserve 4-H History, the Foundation of our Future.” This history reflects exciting “Learn by Doing” programs and methodology which is still relevant for designing contemporary 4-H Youth education. Learning the progressive best practices in 4-H history can further strengthen the structure and delivery of today’s programs.

The National 4-H History Preservation Team would like to partner with one or more states to develop and pilot-test a history component as an integral part of staff development curriculum. The Team invites you to:

1. Identify any 4-H history content currently being used in your state; and

2. Identify 4-H staff who may have interest in partnering with the Team to design a 4-H History Component as a base for future staff development.

The 4-H History Team has digitized volumes of documents, photographs and instructional materials on the history website as well as compiled histories in a number of national programs to contribute to this knowledge base.

Please send your information about current 4-H History components in your staff development curriculum and/or indication that you would like to partner with us to Info@4-HHistoryPreservation.com

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Learning about the many successful 4-H promotions and programs of the past can help professionals and volunteers in making their programs relevant to today’s audiences.

History Preservation Newsletter
March 2015

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March is supposed to come in like a lion, right? Well in DC, it’s been doing that!

Thanks to you and others, your 4-H History website hit the 100,000th US visitor! We’re delighted and you should be too! If you’ve not visited, you’d better get in there before the next 200,000th visitor is announced.

Coming Soon

We’ll be adding an interactive National 4-H History Map! Participate by sharing your most important local historical 4-H sites. Join in next month!

New Feature

The all-new History website feature highlights decades of 4-H promotions and the compendium brings them all to life for you.

Partner with Us

We’d welcome a state to partner with the 4-H History Preservation Team to devise and deliver a 4-H history component for a newly-proposed staff development training module. Interested?

Donor Tracking

4-H has benefited from years of private (and public) sector support. We’re tracking the enormous impact of donor support to 4-H youth development; it’s much more than you think.

Get to Know the Center

What is that place we call the “4-H Center?” For those who visit and work there, it’s way more than most of us could ever imagine.

4-H FilmFest 2015

4-H FilmFest 2015 kicks off in St. Louis in June. Will your 4-H’ers submit a video or film in the “Voices of 4-H History” category? Hope so.

Support the 4-H History Preservation Team

Please take a moment to click on the “DONATE” button at the top of the page or below. It will take you to a list of items where funds are needed to keep this totally volunteer History Team working to preserve the valuable indeed irreplaceable history of 4-H. Every gift is tax deductible.

If you’re reading this in front of a fireplace, enjoy and don’t tell us; if you’re basking in sunshine, don’t tell us that either. We’re hoping that promised March lamb is coming to DC shortly!

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Delegate discussion group at National 4-H Conference, National 4-H Center, 2006

Delegate discussion group at National 4-H Conference, National 4-H Center, 2006

District of Columbia 4H’ers at National 4-H Youth Science Day, National 4-H Center, 2013

District of Columbia 4H’ers at National 4-H Youth Science Day, National 4-H Center, 2013

National 4-H Donor Support Added to History Website

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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 — http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/4-H_Promotion/

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The Nation’s First Lady, Mrs. Patricia Nixon, and J. C. Penney, meet at the White House to discuss their role in 4-H as honorary 4-H co-chairmen of the National 4-H Club Foundation’s Advisory Council. With them is Barbara Evans, 4-H’er from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Over the past year the history of the private sector and 4-H donors at the national level has been researched and is now up on the National 4-H History Preservation website. For nearly a century National 4-H Council and its two predecessor organizations – National 4-H Club Foundation and National 4-H Service Committee (earlier called the National Committee on Boys’ and Girls’ Club Work) – has secured funding for the support of 4-H programs across America and around the world.

Funds have been generous, coming from large corporations and small businesses, banks, foundations and associations, governmental agencies, state and county 4-H foundations, 4-H leaders’ councils, and from individuals and trusts, totaling well over a million gifts.

This new section attempts to document the most relevant areas of this support from a historical perspective: it is still a “work in progress” as they say, adding information as it is researched and located. It will never be complete. Some records have been lost. In many cases we listed the most significant donations, not attempting to document each and every gift or pledge. It’s for this reason that this new donor support segment has been added to the site in PDF format. This segment is located in the National 4-H History section of the website at

  http://4-HHistoryPreservation.com/History/Donor_Support/National_4-H_Donor_Support.pdf  Please note that this is a PDF file that will download to your device.