Ohio: The Birthplace of 4-H
Editor’s Note: What better time than Belmont County Fair Week to highlight the the history of the 4-H Club movement. The following blog first appeared on the America 250 -Ohio website
Today, 4-H serves as the United States’ largest youth development organization, supporting nearly six million youth annually as they build lifelong skills and grow into young leaders. However, the beginnings of 4-H can be traced back to Clark County, Ohio, where the first meeting was held more than 120 years ago.
On January 15, 1902, Mr. Albert Belmont Graham organized a meeting with some thirty boys and girls in the county courthouse basement. At the time, he was serving as the superintendent of the Springfield Township Schools and held the meeting with the goal of teaching youth about new agricultural developments. Through hands-on learning opportunities, Graham sought to supplement the education youth received through public schooling with agricultural lessons that connected directly to their rural lifestyles and backgrounds.
The group came to be called the “Boy’s and Girl’s Agricultural Club” and during meetings they learned about and completed projects on topics such as harvesting corn, planting a garden, testing soil samples, tying knots in rope, and identifying natural wildlife such as weeds and insects.
In subsequent years, the success of Graham’s program prompted The Ohio State University to use the Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Agriculture to promote the club’s efforts. As a result, additional youth agricultural clubs were established throughout the state, and by 1905 more than 2,000 youth from 16 counties were participating in programs similar to Graham’s agricultural club.
Many of these early clubs were project-oriented and focused on a specific subject, such as growing tomatoes, caring for cows, or understanding the canning process. Youth would learn about a topic during meetings and were then encouraged to take the skills they had gained and put them into action, whether that be by planting and growing their own tomato crops, raising a cow at their home, or canning their own fruits and vegetables. As a result, the “learn by doing” mindset was born.
The iconic 4-H clover emblem was introduced by Jessie Field Shambaugh in 1910 while she was serving as the superintendent of schools in Page County, Iowa. The emblem initially featured a three-leaf clover with the letter “H” on each leaf, representing “head,” “hands,” and “heart.” A fourth “H” was soon added for “hustle,” but was later changed to “health.”
By 1912, these youth clubs were calling themselves 4-H clubs and, under the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, the Cooperative Extension System was established, effectively nationalizing 4-H.
4-H clubs were incorporated into the Cooperative Extension System and tied to land-grant institutions across the country. In partnership with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Extension services sought to educate the public on topics like agriculture, food, and the environment. By connecting Extension services to land-grant universities, a partnership was formed between agricultural colleges and the USDA, resulting in the improved dissemination of information obtained through university research.
As a result, 4-H clubs became more organized throughout the 1920s as club requirements, leader duties, and curriculum were established. The variety of projects available to youth members also grew, with girls having the opportunity to complete projects related to home economics—such as sewing, food and nutrition, and home improvement—and boys learning about topics like soil conservation, electricity, and machinery.
Since then, the 4-H program has continued to grow, reaching youth ages 5 through 19 in all 50 states and in 80 different countries. Today, 4-H is the country’s largest youth development organization, serving nearly 6 million youth and boasting a network of 500,000 volunteers and more than 3,000 4-H professionals.
4-H has also become more than just an agricultural club. In addition to learning about agriculture, youth have the opportunity to complete projects in areas such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), healthy living, civic engagement, creative arts, and natural resources. With a renewed focus on the personal development of youth, 4-H helps them build the skills needed to become resilient, adaptable, and ready for work and life.
Serving youth in rural, suburban, and urban areas, 4-H encourages them to become active members of their community and take on the nation’s top issues. From global food security and food safety to climate change and sustainable energy, 4-H’ers are developing the skills needed to become the next generation of leaders.
With roots right here in Clark County, Ohio is proud to be known as the birthplace of 4-H. Today, Ohio 4-H is one of the largest 4-H programs in existence and serves as a leader in the realm of research and innovation for best youth development practices.
In the past 120 years, the landscape of 4-H has changed significantly, but one thing remains the same: 4-H sees the potential in young people and equips them with the skills to become the best versions of themselves.
For more information on the Ohio 4-H program or to learn how to get involved, visit the Ohio 4-H Youth Development webpage.
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