[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4808-H4810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FARMHOUSE FRATERNITY, INC.

  Miss McMORRIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 207) recognizing the 100th anniversary of 
FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 207

       Whereas FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. was founded on April 15, 
     1905, by 7 students from the College of Agriculture at the 
     University of Missouri-Columbia;
       Whereas FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. is widely known and 
     respected on college campuses throughout the United States 
     and Canada as a fraternity that encourages values-based 
     leadership, has a strong academic focus, and is dedicated to 
     service;
       Whereas FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. focuses on building the 
     whole man--intellectually, spiritually, socially, morally, 
     and physically;
       Whereas more than 24,000 men have been members of FarmHouse 
     Fraternity, Inc., including governors, congressmen, top 
     scientists, innovators in agriculture, university presidents, 
     Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, doctors, 
     lawyers, and Hall of Fame athletes;
       Whereas FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. members volunteer 
     countless hours of service each year to help improve the 
     communities they serve; and
       Whereas hundreds of FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. alumni and 
     student members will gather in Columbia, Missouri, from April 
     14 to April 17, 2005, for the celebration of the

[[Page H4809]]

     100th anniversary of the fraternity: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     100th anniversary of FarmHouse Fraternity, Inc. and commends 
     the fraternity and its members for a century of service.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Miss McMorris) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington (Miss McMorris).


                             General Leave

  Miss McMORRIS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on the resolution currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Miss McMORRIS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 207 offered by my 
colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof).
  House Resolution 207 honors the FarmHouse Fraternity on the occasion 
of its 100th anniversary. The FarmHouse Fraternity was founded on April 
15, 1905, by seven men from the College of Agriculture at the 
University of Missouri, Columbia, who acknowledged a need for 
recognition of a small, specialized group in the area of higher 
education.
  Originally formed as an agricultural club, the FarmHouse Fraternity 
has become widely known and respected on college campuses throughout 
the United States and Canada as a fraternity that encourages value-
based leadership, has strong academic focus, and is dedicated to 
service.
  FarmHouse promotes the moral and intellectual welfare of its members 
and encourages social growth; loyalty among its members to their 
country, their community, their university, and their fraternity; and 
the well-rounded personality of members.
  The FarmHouse Fraternity helps transform the young men of today into 
the leaders of tomorrow's world. More than 24,000 men have been members 
of the FarmHouse Fraternity, including Governors, Congressmen, top 
scientists, innovators in agriculture, university presidents, Noble 
Peace Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winner, doctors, lawyers, and Hall 
of Fame athletes.
  In addition, members of the FarmHouse Fraternity volunteer countless 
hours of service each year to help improve the communities they serve.
  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize and honor the FarmHouse 
Fraternity for the celebration of its 100th anniversary and commend the 
fraternity and its members for a century of service and achievement. I 
urge my colleagues to help support House Resolution 207.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I stand in support of House Resolution 207, which 
recognizes the 100th anniversary of FarmHouse Fraternity, Incorporated. 
The organization was first founded by seven students from the College 
of Agriculture at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Currently, 
FarmHouse Fraternity has 24,000 members; and it continues to increase 
its membership on college campuses throughout the United States and 
Canada, notwithstanding the fact that today there are fewer farm 
families and fewer young men with the traditional agricultural 
background.
  Farming issues today are much more complex than a century ago. In 
addition to concerns about the impact of drought and disease on crop 
production, farmers today must concern themselves with agricultural 
trade policies, competition from major foreign producers and exporters 
and agroterrorism.
  While farming issues may have changed, the fraternity's objectives 
have remained constant. Today, just as in 1905, the fraternity still 
aims to promote good fellowship, encourage studiousness, and build 
character and integrity amongst its members.
  I congratulate each of the members of FarmHouse Fraternity on their 
100th anniversary and wish them continued success in the future.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Miss McMORRIS. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof).
  Mr. HULSHOF. Madam Speaker, I rise and ask my colleagues in the House 
to support this resolution. In addition to the kind words that already 
have been mentioned, FarmHouse had a unique, but a humble, beginning in 
my home town of Columbia, Missouri.
  Like many social organizations at the University of Missouri campus, 
there were few students back in 1905 to draw from for its members. Its 
purpose, its objective back then was really not clearly defined or 
understood. And so it attracted little attention. It was not the result 
of any sort of a crisis among ag students, but was rather the result of 
a need for recognition of a small and subordinate and specialized group 
in the area of higher education.
  The University of Missouri College of Agriculture was established 
back in 1870 as part of the land grant system. A lot of my colleagues 
here still to this day defend mightily the land grant system. It was a 
small division of the ag school back in 1905 within the University of 
Missouri. There were less than 100 students. It was not really held in 
the same high regard or high esteem as the school of law or the school 
of medicine, and most of those students were all farm-reared boys.
  But a rather close relationship developed among this group of 35, a 
lot of them attended the same class, everyone knew each other, and 
there developed among them this sense of camaraderie. So as an 
outgrowth of this fellowship and the friendships that were formed, 
there were three men, D. Howard Doane, Henry P. Rusk and Earl Rusk, who 
conceived this idea of forming an agricultural club in order to 
perpetuate this congenial association.
  In fact, as history has it, at least as we tell it, they began to 
have this discussion on a Sunday afternoon at a YMCA Bible meeting. So 
it was desirable that they were going to make this group, and they 
proposed to rent a house and live together, and this was in the spring 
of 1905.
  And from the diary of Mr. Doane comes the following record: ``At the 
close of my freshman year, there was organized a club of farmers, 
principally from the freshman class, to run a clubhouse to be known as 
the FarmHouse. When school opened in September, only seven of the group 
returned.''
  I mentioned Mr. Doane and the two brothers Rusk, and the others that 
joined them were Robert F. Howard, Claude B. Hutchison, Henry H. 
Krusekopf, and Melvin E. Sherwin.
  Back now to Mr. Doane's diary: ``They took the house on their hands 
and turned it into a regular rooming and boarding house. Those seven 
fellows were the best bunch that ever got together. During the whole 
year they managed the house without one single disagreeable incident.''
  I am tempted to go into a parenthetical aside regarding this body, 
but I will choose not to do that. And then finally from Mr. Doane's 
diary: ``Many a night this dear old bunch assembled with gravest doubts 
assailing them and wondering if it was all worth while.''
  Well, Mr. Doane, in the humble opinion of this FarmHouse alum, it was 
indeed worthwhile. Thirty chapters across the country, including 
Canada, with a list of notable alumni, including just a smattering of 
those: former Kansas Governor, John Carlin; George Beadle, who received 
a Noble Prize in medicine and genetics back in 1958; Pulitzer Prize 
winner Ezra George Thiem; and Hall of Fame athletes Ed Widseth from 
Minnesota and legendary Missouri Coach Don Faurot; 49 past national FFA 
officers; one former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; and entertainers 
Leroy Van Dyke, Michael Martin Murphey, and Pat Green.
  More than 24,000 men have become members of FarmHouse Fraternity. And 
while the others do not necessarily hold a title, each has made his own 
mark within the community and the family in which they live, putting 
into action the FarmHouse motto: ``Builder of Men.''

[[Page H4810]]

  I was honored to be invited to speak to an event back in Columbia, 
Missouri, over 530 participants, back in April of this year. And I 
would ask that this body, that the House of Representatives today 
recognize the 100th anniversary of FarmHouse Fraternity and commend the 
fraternity and its members for a century of service.
  Miss McMORRIS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Miss McMorris) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 207.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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