[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 31 (Monday, March 18, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2004-S2005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         4-H 100TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President I rise today to recognize the National 4-H 
organization upon it's 100th anniversary this year. The organization, 
symbolized by the famous four leaf clover, has become synonymous with 
rural America and agriculture. While 4-H has its roots in many States, 
I am proud to say that the youth organization got its primary start in 
my home State of Ohio--in Springfield.
  I would like to take a few minutes today to remind my colleagues 
about how 4-H evolved into what it is today. In doing so, we need to 
step back and remember what our Nation was like at the beginning of the 
20th century and how the field of agriculture was suffering from the 
industrial revolution.
  As a result of the industrial revolution, our nation experienced, for 
the first time, a greater number of people living in cities than in 
small, rural agricultural communities. As a new generation of farmers 
were talking about moving to ``the big city,'' many began to fear a 
lapse in the traditional teaching techniques in which parents taught 
their children how to farm. Additionally, the industrial revolution 
brought about new technologies, many of which greatly affected farming 
techniques. At first, unfortunately, few people knew about these 
technologies--let alone how to use them. As concerns continued to grow, 
many communities were forced to develop programs that sought new and 
innovative ways of teaching the next generation of farmers.
  The most successful of these programs was created in Springfield, OH. 
It was there, in 1902, that Albert B. Graham, superintendent of the 
Clark County school system, first established agricultural classes. 
Recognizing that many people would have a difficult time with the 
concept of learning farming outside of the family, Graham established a 
club that offered Saturday morning classes in the basement of the 
county building. Families coming into town to do their weekly shopping 
could drop off their children at the courses. In a sense, it was a form 
of daycare, but one in which the boys and girls were kept busy learning 
how to examine soil with litmus paper and how to tie knots and splice 
ropes. They even examined droplets of milk under microscopes.
  Eventually, Graham expanded this program with help from the Ohio 
Agricultural Experiment Station and the dean of agriculture at The Ohio 
State University, itself a land-grant college. Ohio State took quickly 
to this course concept, as it offered the university an effective way 
to communicate with farmers throughout Ohio. By 1903, Graham's 
agriculture club had over 100 members, and by 1904, 13 such countywide 
clubs had been organized in Ohio. You might say that Graham had planted 
the seed for the 4-H organization, and it sprouted quickly.
  It didn't take long before similar clubs grew nationally. Around this 
time, a clover became a commonly known symbol for club members, who 
wore the symbol on their lapels. Another landmark for 4-H came in 1906, 
when Thomas Campbell, an assistant to George Washington Carver, was 
hired to establish youth farming organizations for African-American 
farmers in the south. At a time in our Nation when the racial divide 
ran deep, 4-H was clearly ahead of its time.
  By 1914, a mere decade after 4-H's creation, President Woodrow Wilson 
signed the Smith-Lever Act into law, establishing the Cooperative 
Extension System. This system offered a mechanism through which 4-H 
programs could receive Federal funds.
  Now jump forward to today. The 4-H organization continues to be one 
the most active youth organizations in our Nation, with chapters not 
only in the United States, but throughout the world. 4-H clubs have 
expanded from rural to urban areas, where they provide a new of group 
kids with essential leadership skills and community service 
involvement. National 4-H meetings have even become platforms for 
presidents and other national officials to voice their ideas for 
agriculture and other policies.
  The fear of an agriculture system eroding away with the expansion of 
cities continues to this day, as we have witnessed the massive growth 
in urban sprawl. But, this merely furthers the need for 4-H. Although 
today's 4-H organization may be larger than the original 100 members 
and our communication has increased from town meetings to Internet chat 
rooms, the organization's principles of Head, Heart, Hands, and Health 
remain the same. Without question, the lessons and skills 4-H members 
learn will last a lifetime.
  I am proud to know that organizations, like 4-H, are there to help 
guide our next generation of farmers, teachers, and even elected 
officials toward a better tomorrow. I also am proud to say that my 
wife, Fran, and I have had

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children go through the 4-H program for 24 straight years now--in fact, 
last year was our eighth and youngest child, Anna's first year in 4-H.
  I congratulate 4-H on their centennial anniversary, and I wish them 
the best for their next 100 years.

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