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Dr. Larry Case retires after 26 years as national FFA advisor. FFA celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of NFA.
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First FFA Chorus and National FFA Talent program held at national FFA convention. National FFA Supply Service began operation. Record jump in membership from 238,269 in 1947 to 260,300 in 1948; so many members attended the 20th National FFA Convention that a folding-cot hotel was set up in the basement of the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. First FFA Week celebrated during the week of George Washington’s birthday.
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First National FFA Center is dedicated in Alexandria, Va., on land that was once part of George Washington’s estate. An FFA camp had been located here earlier. FFA holds its first National Leadership Training Conference for state officers in Washington, D.C.
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NFA merges with FFA, increasing FFA membership by more than 50,000. Delegates vote to increase FFA membership dues from 10 cents to 50 cents,
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Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon speaks at the National FFA Convention.
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Future Farmers of America is established in Kansas City, Mo. First National FFA Convention is held in Kansas City, Mo.: 33 delegates from 18 states (Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin) are in attendance. Leslie Applegate from New Jersey is elected first national FFA president. First sectional gathering of New Farmers of America (NFA) members is held.
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Official FFA Creed, written by E.M. Tiffany, adopted. First National Public Speaking event held. Winner: Edward Drace, Missouri. First Official Dress uniform adopted: dark blue shirt, blue or white pants, blue cap and yellow tie. Delegates restricted membership to boys only. First Official FFA Manual printed.
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Blue corduroy jacket adopted as Official Dress. A group of FFA officers and members made a pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., where they were greeted on the White House lawn by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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During national convention, action taken to establish a national FFA camp and leadership training school in Washington, D.C.
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During World War II, when tens of thousands of FFA members served in the armed services, national FFA conventions were streamlined events where only delegates and award winners attend. In 1942, just 217 people attended the convention.
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First National FFA Band performed at national FFA convention.
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First International Exchange Program for FFA members began with the Young Farmers Club of Great Britain.
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A bill was passed by the 81st Congress of the United States that granted FFA a federal charter and specified that a U.S. Department of Education staff member be the national FFA advisor. On Aug. 30, President Harry S. Truman signed the bill, and it became Public Law 81-740.
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The first Agriscience Teacher of the Year Award is presented to Steven McKay from Boonville, Calif.
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First FFA National Agricultural Career Show (now called expo) is held at the National FFA Convention to highlight educational and career opportunities in agriculture.
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Elmer J. Johnson helps develop the FFA archives at the National FFA Center.
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First issue of The National Future Farmer magazine published.
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Former President Harry S. Truman spoke during the national convention.
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The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis presented NFA with a Certificate of Appreciation.
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FFA sells its one-millionth FFA jacket.
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The Washington Conference (now Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) begins. The delegate body of the National FFA Convention establishes alumni class of membership as part of the constitution.
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New York’s Anita Decker and New Jersey’s Patricia Krowicki become the first two female delegates to the national convention.
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The National FFA Alumni Association is established.
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FFA Official Dress standards are created. National FFA Secretary Fred McClure from Texas is the first African-American elected to a national FFA office.
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President Gerald Ford speaks at the National FFA Convention
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FFA Chapter, speaks at the National FFA Convention. Carter was elected U.S. president the following year. First FFA Student Handbook is published.
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Julie Smiley from Washington is elected national FFA vice president and is the first female to hold a national FFA office.
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President Jimmy Carter speaks at the 51st National FFA Convention again, this time as a U.S. president.
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Christe Peterson from Wisconsin wins the first Extemporaneous Public Speaking Event.
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The National FFA Foundation raises $1 million in one year for the first time.
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Jan Eberly from California becomes the first female national FFA president.
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The Ag Ed Network, the organization’s computerized information service, launches.
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The first national television satellite broadcast of the National FFA Convention airs.
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The National Future Farmer magazine changes its name to FFA New Horizons.
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National convention delegates vote to raise the number of official voting delegates to 475 based on proportional representation. Delegates vote “no” to a new FFA Creed during the 63rd National FFA Convention.
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FFA chapters in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam, along with five chapters in Micronesia, are chartered.
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Corey Flournoy from Illinois is the first African American to be elected national FFA president, he is also the first urban student leader.
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FFA announces its decision to move the National FFA Convention from Kansas City, Mo., to Louisville, Ky., in 1999. The official website for FFA, FFA.org, debuts.
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FFA vice president. He is the first member from Puerto Rico to serve as a national FFA officer. Public Law 81-740 is revised through the 105th Congress and replaced by Public Law 105-225 on Aug. 12.
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The National FFA Convention is held in Louisville, Ky., for the first time with 46,918 in attendance. Michael Van Winkle from Arkansas wins the first National Creed Speaking event.
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Delegates at the National FFA Convention approve the Discovery FFA Degree for middle school students.
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Steven Offer from Wisconsin is named the first American Star in Agriscience. Nicholas Streff from South Dakota is named the first American Star in Agricultural Placement.
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The 75th National FFA Convention is held in Louisville, Ky. To celebrate this special event, the time capsule from the 50th National FFA Convention is opened.
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avier Moreno from Puerto Rico is elected national president; he becomes the first person with a native language other than English and the first Puerto Rican elected to this office. “Only Blue Will Do!” launches.
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The first live webcast of the National FFA Convention
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National FFA launches Seeds of Hope, a fundraising campaign to rebuild Gulf Coast states’ agricultural education and FFA programs following Hurricane Katrina; $835,699 in donations is distributed to affected programs. The National FFA Foundation tops the $10 million mark in raising money in one year for FFA programs and services.
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The 79th National FFA Convention is held in Indianapolis for the first time, with 54,589 in attendance. The National FFA Foundation announces its first $1 million contributions from the Ford Motor Company. Continue reading
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The FFA Merchandise Center opens in Indianapolis.
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The FFA member networking site, FFA Nation (now defunct), launches.
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FFA celebrates 40 years of women in the organization.
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The National FFA Alumni Association celebrates its 40th anniversary. FFA celebrates Native Americans in FFA, agriculture, and agricultural education during the 84th National FFA Convention.
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Patrick Gottsch donates $1 million on behalf of RFD-TV to the National FFA Organization, the single-largest unrestricted donation in the organization’s history. National FFA Foundation receives a record of more than $16.2 million in support of FFA.
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Sherene Donaldson is named first female national FFA executive secretary. Ram Truck’s “So God Made a Farmer” Super Bowl commercial exceeds 18 million views on YouTube; company donates $1 million to FFA.
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FFA members earn a record 3,765 American FFA Degrees. Five FFA jackets are donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
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FFA announces the national convention and expo to move to Indianapolis from 2016-24. First Lady Michelle Obama gives video greetings to attendees at the national convention and expo.
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Convention delegate recommendations to alter Official Dress and the opening ceremony get approval from the National FFA Board of Directors.
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The 91st National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis has a record attendance of 69,944. President Donald Trump speaks at the National FFA Convention & Expo.
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Student membership hits an all-time high with 700,170 members in 8,612 chapters. FFA celebrates the 50th anniversaries of the Washington Leadership Conference and the delegate vote that allowed female membership.
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The first FFA TV public service announcements air.
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The First National Congress of Vocational Agriculture Students assembles for a National Livestock Judging Contest at the American Royal Livestock and Horse Show in Kansas City, Mo.
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H.O. Sargent, a federal agent for agricultural education for African-Americans at the U.S. Office of Education, and G.W. Owens, a teacher-trainer at Virginia State College, write the first constitution and bylaws for the New Farmers of Virginia, an organization for African-American agriculture students. The organization holds its first state rally that same year.
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National blue and corn gold are adopted as official FFA colors. Carlton Patton from Arkansas is named the first Star Farmer of America. First National Chapter Contest is launched and sponsored by Farm Journal magazine. At the Second National FFA Convention in November, 33 states are represented by 64 delegates. Thirty-five state associations with approximately 1,500 chapters and 30,000 members are affiliated with the national organization.
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New Farmers of America founded in Tuskegee, Ala. Active FFA membership exceeded 100,000 members. To learn more about NFA, visit the New Farmers of America Records webpage in the Philanthropy Archives of the IUPUI library.
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28.5 acres of land purchased near Alexandria, Va., for the first FFA-owned national headquarters; the land was part of George Washington’s estate. Identical twins Albert and Arthur Lacy of Hondo, Texas, become the only members ever to share the title of Star Farmer of America.
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Future Farmers of America Foundation was formed to raise money from business, industry, government, individuals, and sponsors for FFA programs and activities. 138,548 FFA members were serving in the Armed Services in World War II. First National FFA Agriculture Proficiency Award presented for Agricultural Mechanics.
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The U.S. Post Office Department issued a special stamp to celebrate the 25th anniversary of FFA. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to speak at a national FFA convention.
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The Future Farmers of America changes its name to the National FFA Organization to reflect the growing diversity in agriculture. Seventh and eighth-grade students are permitted to become FFA members.
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National FFA Alumni membership jumps to 225,891 members, up from 62,705 in 2015. FFA, Discovery Education and AgCareers.com partner to create AgExplorer, a career website to help students explore unique careers in agriculture.
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the smith-Hughes National vocational education Act, (both senator hoke smith and representative Dudley Hughes were from Georgia.
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Virginia Tech agricultural education teacher educators Henry C. Groseclose, Harry Sanders, Walter S. Newman and Edmund C. Magill organized the (FFV) for boys in agriculture classes. The FFV served as the model for the Future Farmers of America.