Since this week is National FFA week it might be a good time to refresh our memory about the origins of the FFA. John Hillison, a retired professor of agricultural education at Virginia Tech is our guest columnist. No, he was not in the room when the plans were made for the Future Farmers of Virginia but has spent considerable time sitting at the table where the plans were made. Next week we will resume our exploration of agricultural education in Maine. Welcome, Dr. Hillison.
How the FFV and FFA got Started
In my opinion, the Farm boys of Virginia who are enrolled in vocational agriculture, are equal to any other group of boys in the state. But somehow the boys themselves seem to have a feeling of inferiority. Especially is this true when the farm boy goes to the city and has to compete with his city cousin. This condition should not exist. I believe that a strong organization of our boys in agriculture would help them to overcome this handicap. Let’s form an organization that will give them a greater opportunity for self expression and for the development of leadership. In this way they will develop confidence in their own ability and pride in the fact that they are farm boys. (Taylor & Crunkilton, 1979. p.6)
The above words were spoken by Dr. Walter Newman on a September day in 1925. Little did he know that this statement was the genesis for a movement that would result in the creation of one of the longest lasting and most successful organizations called the Future Farmers of America, or today, more likely called the FFA.
Few things fall to earth ready made. That is true of the FFA. Why was the FFA formed and what preceded it? For purposes of this article, the lineage and heritage of the FFA will start with Congressional District Agricultural Schools.
Congressional District Agricultural Schools
Congressional District Agricultural Schools were an early version of what we would call a charter school today. They were state and locally funded with the primary purpose of teaching high school students agricultural and home economics subject matter. They also had research or fam activities and service components. In many ways they were like a secondary version of a land-grant university. The most prominent schools and the year they started were in the southern states of Alabama (1889), Georgia (1906), and Virginia (1910). The goal was to have one school per Congressional district in each state.
Common characteristics of the schools were all students studied agriculture, both boys and girls attended, a dormitory for the students, commodity youth clubs, and the source of a great deal of pride in their communities. The agriculture teachers typically taught classes, supervised the research and farms, and taught adults in evenings and summers.
The Congressional district schools also influenced the next major event moving toward the establishment of the FFA
Smith-Hughes Act
The 1917 Smith-Hughes Act played a significant role enhancing the development of agricultural education and, consequently, the FFA. The Act provided Federal funding for teacher training, teachers’ salaries, school supplies, and supervision. In addition, it gave a certain status to what was then called vocational agriculture. In some schools the vocational agriculture teacher who had his salary partially supported by funds from the act was called the Smith-Hughes Man.
Both Hoke Smith and Dudley Hughes were from Georgia. Both were impressed enough with the accomplishments of the Congressional District Agricultural Schools that they supported similar philosophy in their landmark legislation. Ironically, the legislation eventually took away the need for Congressional District Schools as agricultural teaching at the secondary level was now being established all over the country. They were no longer unique.
Virginia followed the rest of the nation with the same trend.
Virginia Agricultural Education and Youth Organization Experience
Virginia Agricultural Education was growing rapidly in the late 1910s into the 1920s. Part of the activities included commodity clubs and judging contests. By 1925 Walter Newman had observed the general success of Virginia Agricultural Education, but still saw a need to add something to it. His experience as a high school teacher and VPI (Virginia Polytechnic Institute, now called Virginia Tech) teacher educator helped him reach that conclusion
On July 1, 1925 Walter Newman was appointed head supervisor for Virginia Agricultural Education with an office in Richmond. On a September visit back to the agricultural education department in Blacksburg, he met with three former colleague teacher educators in what proved to be a monumental meeting. When Newman identified the major issue of lack of confidence in farm boys, a significant step was taken that eventually led to the creation of the Future Farmers of America.
With Dr. Newman at an oak table in the VPI Agricultural Education Department on that fateful September day were professors Edmund Magill, Harry Sanders, and Henry Groseclose.
Figure 1. From The Agricultural Education Magazine, November 1953
Figure 2. A close up view of the plaque on the oak table at Virginia Tech.
Edmund Magill was born in 1889 and a native of Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in horticulture. Eventually, he received his master’s degree from VPI. Magill was a high school agricultural education teacher in Minnesota. He also served as a garden specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension. His professional position was an itinerant teacher trainer at VPI. In 1924 he was promoted to professor and named head of the agricultural education department. Ironically, he passed away during the 14th Virginia FFA State Convention in 1940.
Harry Sanders was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1895. He attended both VPI and Harvard University. He taught vocational agriculture at Manassas, Virginia. During 1924 Sanders served as an area supervisor and was instrumental in starting the agricultural education department in Puerto Rico. In 1940 he became head of the department of vocational education at VPI.
Henry Grosseclose was born in 1882 in Ceres, Virginia. Collegiate work was at both VPI and Washington and Lee University. He taught high school in Buckingham County, Virginia.
He also did supervisory work and served as both a principal and superintendent of schools. Groseclose made many significant contributions to both the Virginia and the Future Farmers of Virginia and the Future Farmers of America.
For the Future Farmers of Virginia (FFV), Groseclose wrote the constitution, helped establish the levels of membership, designed an emblem, worked with the opening ceremonies, and suggested the organization’s name.
For the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Groseclose served as national secretary-treasurer and received the first Honorary American Farmer Degree.
Walter Newman was born in 1895 at Woodstock, Virginia. He was educated at Hampden-Sydney College, Penn State University, and VPI. He taught high school at Windsor, Virginia. Newman became a professor of agricultural education at VPI in 1922. Walter Newman was well known in the agricultural education profession. He used that influence to encourage other professionals at both regional and national meetings to go back to their home states and start working on helping to start and join a national organization.
Walter Newman became president of VPI in 1947 and retired from that position in 1962.
Figure 3. Groseclose and Newman. From the Virginia Chapter Chats, March 1931
Additional Step Toward FFA Establishment
A crucial additional step had to occur before the FFA would be established. That step was provided by the National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students.
As vocational agriculture became more firmly established with increasing enrollment numbers, leaders wanted to encourage student participation in contests at the national level. The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri was chosen as the location for such contests.
In 1926 the National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students was held in Kansas City with boys from 22 states in attendance. In 1927 at the third Congress, there was discussion and approval for establishing the national organization called the Future Farmers of America. The first national convention of the Future Farmers of America was held at the Kansas City Baltimore Hotel. Thirty three attendees at the fourth National Congress in 1928 also served as delegates for the first National FFA Convention. For that year, the two organizations essentially merged. For a few years after 1928 the National FFA Convention was frequently called the Congress.
National conventions were held in Kansas City until 1998.
Mission Accomplished
In this, the centennial year of the founding of the Future Farmers of Virginia we need to recognize that the question raised by Walter Newman of how to help farm boys gain more confidence in themselves was answered by the founders of the FFV. The organization they started that September day in 1925 was more than just the FFV, it was actually the FFA. The FFA, which was started only three years later, was and still is famous for leadership skills, public speaking, creating confidence, providing experiences, and holding contests. Now those achievements go well beyond the membership of just farm boys.
Figure 4. Historical Marker at Virginia Tech.
References
Taylor, W. N. & Crunkilton, J. R. (1970). A History of the Future Farmers of America in Virgnia. Blacksburg. VA: Virginia Tech.