The 4-H program is part of the nationwide educational system of the Cooperative Extension Service -- a three way partnership of the county governments, the state land-grant universities, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The early development of the 4-H program had its roots in the last decade of the 19th century. Progressive educators in town and city schools were introducing nature study into the curriculum. Cornell University was encouraging nature study as the basis of a better agricultural education, and school gardens were attracting attention in many places throughout the country. Rural educators, in response to a demand from farm people, introduced subjects which taught boys and girls to appreciate rural life and emphasized rural opportunities.
In 1898 professor Liberty Hyde Bailey of Cornell University introduced junior naturalist leaflets for use in rural schools and helped organize nature study clubs. Since many of the rural teachers had little preparation for teaching agricultural subjects, the experiment stations of the various state agricultural colleges furnished information.
When, in the early part of this century, professors at the agricultural colleges were organizing "Farmers' Institutes" to bring the latest scientific agricultural information to farmers, they also realized the need to provide instruction in agriculture for the children of these farmers. Various activities were organized and clubs were formed where students learned by doing.
The first Boys' and Girls' Clubs were officially organized in Idaho schools in the 1911-1912 school year. By the end of the first year there were thirty potato clubs and nineteen sewing clubs, with a total enrollment of 570 members. The movement gained new stimulus with the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which established the Cooperative Extension Service jointly among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state land-grant universities and the counties. The Boys' and Girls' Clubs were transferred to the Extension Service from the Dept. of Public Instruction at this time. The modern 4-H clubs are an integral part of this cooperative extension work.
Although the Boys' and Girls' Clubs were the same as the 4-H Club of today, it was usually not referred to by that name. The four-leaf clover was used as an emblem, and reference was made to the four H's -- head, heart, hands, and health. In the mid-twenties the clubs gradually took up the name Boys' and Girls' Four-H Clubs, but it was not until 1948 that Congress authorized the use of the 4-H name and emblem.
The first 4-H shortcourse was held on the University of Idaho campus in 1923. Classes taught by extension personnel occupied the morning, while the afternoon was taken up with recreational activities and field trips. This shortcourse, now called the 4-H Congress, is still held at the U of I campus each summer.
Congressional support for 4-His evidenced by the 1970 funding of the 4-H expanded Food and Nutrition Education Programs for low income city youth, and 1973 appropriations for 4-H urban and community development programs. Two non-governmental organizations, the National 4-H Service Committee and the National 4-H Foundation, coordinate private support to 4-H nationally and assist in carrying out various programs for 4-H youth.
The national headquarters for 4-H is in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. State headquarters are at each state land-grant university. Each state has a state leader and a youth development staff administered by the state director of extension. Work in the counties is directed and supervised by county extension agent. Volunteer local leaders are the backbone of 4-H and assist agents by providing direct leadership and educational support to youth in the local neighborhoods and communities.
Today's 4-H program is for all youth, urban as well as rural. A variety of methods are now used to reach youth through 4-H: membership in the traditional 4-H clubs, participation in special interest groups, enrollment in short-term projects, 4-H educational TV, and special 4-H nutritional programs for low income city youth. Through the years the objective of 4-H has remained the same -- the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens.
The Records of the Idaho 4-H clubs span the years 1913 to 1985, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1940 to 1975.
The papers include agricultural extension annual reports, 4-H manuals, programs from congresses, information on several 4-H camps, photographs, and club scrapbooks.
Some of the material in this record group is concerned with the College of Agriculture at the University of Idaho, not the 4-H program. However, since 4-H is part of the agricultural extension program this material was not separated from the group.
The material in this record group was received over several years and was in no apparent order, therefore a series order was imposed during processing.
The first series consists of the paper records which were arranged in alphabetical order. Included in this series are programs and songs from the state congresses, information on the Alpine and Heyburn 4-H Camps, excerpts from early agricultural extension annual reports, minute books from the Collegiate 4-H club, manuals for 4-H projects, newsletters, reports and statistics on Urban 4-H, and Youth enrollment reports for Idaho counties.
The photographs are contained in the second series. Included are snapshots, negatives, negatives with contact prints, and prints. Typical of the subjects covered are county fairs and animal judging, special projects such as dog obedience or homing pigeons, camps and camp activities, and group photographs taken at club congresses. The photographs are arranged by subject and most are contained in archival file boxes, however there is a group of 21 large mounted photographs.
The final series consists of the scrapbooks maintained by the state club historian. Each book contains photographs and newspaper clippings of the activities of the various 4-H clubs in the state for the year.
The Records of the Idaho 4-H Clubs were donated to the University of Idaho Library by state leader Maurice Johnson between January 1985 and February 1992.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.