Was Nevada represented at the organizational meeting of the FFA in 1928? That question is a mystery. An article in the Mason Valley News in 1928 identified two individuals from Yerington High school who were to represent Nevada at the organization meeting of the FFA in Kansas City. The two individuals were Dave McGowan and Angelo Aiazzi (See Figure 1).
Figure 1. From the Mason Valley News, Yerington, Nevada, November 17, 1928
Dave and Angelo sent a telegram back to their agriculture teacher upon arrival in Kansas City. So we know they made it to Kansas City. It seems they were enjoying their time at the convention. (See Figure 2).
Figure 2. From the Mason Valley News, Yerington, Nevada, November 24, 1928
When conducting historical research one should use multiple data sources. This is known as triangulation. So, the November 24, 1928 edition of the Reno Gazette Journal was used to validate the above information (See Figure 3).
Figure 3. From the Reno Gazette-Journal, November 24, 1928
The History of Agricultural Education of Less Than College Grade was published in 1942. The editors of the book were Rufus Stimson and Frank Lathrop. There was a chapter about agricultural education in every state written by educational leaders in each state. The Nevada chapter was based on two manuscripts written by V. E. Scott, state extension specialist, and R. B. Jeppson, the state supervisor for agricultural education. The manuscripts were written about 10 years after the founding of the FFA but the publication of the book was delayed because of the paper shortage created by World War II.
The Jeppson manuscript stated (Stimson & Lathrop, 1942, p. 284) “Nevada was represented by two boys in the first national convention of the organization [referring to the FFA] and was the eleventh state to secure a charter.” Since this was written when the FFA organizational meeting was somewhat recent, I put faith in the statement.
So it appears Nevada was one of the early adopters of the FFA and was represented at the organization meeting of the FFA.
Whoa, Nelly!
But as Keith Jackson, a former national sportscaster, would say “Whoa, Nelly”
The FFA at 25 booklet published by the FFA states (p. 17) “Eighteen states were represented by 33 official delegates.” This statement was followed by a listing of the states represented. Nevada was not listed (nor was Missouri).
The FFA at 50 book documenting the history of the FFA repeated this information. On page 21 is a listing of the 18 states. (See Figure 4)
Figure 4. From the FFA at 50. Page 21. Nevada is not listed (nor Missouri).
The same information is repeated in the 75th anniversary FFA publication, Blue Jackets Gold Standards. But the question is where did the data come from and is it accurate? Perhaps the source was the minutes of the first meeting of the FFA.
Figure 5. Images of Documents about the history of the FFA.
When one examines the minutes from the inaugural meeting of the FFA, there is no mention of Dave McGowan or Angelo Aiazzi or Nevada . On the last page of the minutes the list of delegates shows 18 states and 34 students (33 names are typed. Vernon Howell from Oklahoma has been added to the list in handwriting). See Figure 6. So, are the minutes not accurate or did the Nevada boys somehow miss the organizational meeting? If the minutes are at fault, this error has been compounded many times in various FFA publications and historical accounts.
Figure 6. From the Minutes of the 1928 Organizational Meeting of the FFA. Page 16.
Pay careful attention to the NOTE that was added at the end of the official minutes in 1968. (See Figure 6 above). Forty years after the organizational meeting, E. J. Johnson made handwritten corrections to the minutes of the 1928 convention.
So who was E. J. Johnson. He taught agriculture in Colorado in the 1920s before becoming the state supervisor. In 1941 he joined the U.S. Office of Education with agricultural education responsibilities which included being in charge of national FFA contests. He retired from the USOE in 1966. In retirement he was a part-time consultant to the FFA and served as Manager of the FFA archives. Apparently, he found errors in the minutes of the first convention while working in the FFA archives. More about that later.
The newspaper reporting of the day contradicts the FFA minutes. An article titled “Hail Future Farmers” published in the Kansas City Star, November 21,1928 described the founding of the National FFA. In the article it was stated (p. 4):
The students from twenty states (bold mine) who organized the congress were delegates from as far away places as New Jersey and South Carolina, Idaho and California. The North sent boys from Wisconsin and Michigan and the South from Virginia and Arkansas, Missouri (bold mine), Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada (bold mine), North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon and Utah sent delegates.
The Kansas City Times also published an article about the forming of the FFA. See Figure 7
Figure 7. Excerpt from the article “The Future Farmers Form” published in the Kansas City Times, November 21, 1928.
What About Missouri?
While this Footnote focuses on Nevada it would be negligent to not mention Missouri. Both Nevada and Missouri are listed as attending the inaugural convention in the Kansas City newspapers and both are missing from the official minutes of that convention.
Five months before the inaugural convention of the national FFA the Missouri Future Farmers was organized at the University of Missouri and state officers were elected. Since the FFA in Missouri existed at the time the national organization was formed, it makes sense that they would be at the organization meeting of the national FFA.
Based on newspaper accounts we know that 14 boys from Maryville, Missouri attended the first convention and their agenda included attending the 6:30 Monday “Organization of Future Farmers of America” event (Weekly Democrat Forum and Maryville Tribune, November 15, 1928). Twelve FFA members from Newton County, Missouri attended the first convention (The Neosho Times, November 29, 1928). If Missouri FFA members attended the initial meeting of the FFA, it would be likely that they also had official delegates at the convention.
A handwritten note on the bottom of page 15 of the official minutes of the first FFA convention indicated that Paul Zillman of Missouri attended the first convention in 1928 with C. L. (Dutch) Angerer, assistant state supervisor of vocational agriculture (See Figure 8 below). This note was probably added by E. J. Johnson and immediately preceded the list of official delegates.
Figure 8. Handwritten note from the first convention minutes.
Concluding Remarks
The question is “Were Nevada (and Missouri) represented at the organization meeting of the national FFA?” There is compelling evidence that representatives from both Nevada and Missouri were at the organization meeting of the FFA even if the official minutes did not include them. Since several handwritten corrections were made to the minutes in 1968, should there have been additional corrections such as including the two delegates from Nevada and recognizing Missouri? I think so! Has the history of the FFA been wrong for nearly 100 years?
Next week we will learn more about FFA in Nevada.