History

Because Cooperative Extension's youth program, the 4-H Club, is not mentioned in the wording of the Smith-Lever Act, questions concern about the legal basis of 4-H work have been raised. Why is 4-H not named specifically, as are agriculture and home economics, in the legislation that created the Extension Service and provides for its support? Does the absence of a direct legislative reference to 4-H mean the youth program enjoys less standing or is a less permanent part of Extension?

Smith-Lever Act

To explore these questions we study the intent of the United States Congress as its members drafted the original Smith-Lever Cooperative Extension Act signed into law by President Wilson May 8, 1914. Its purpose:

to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects
relating to agriculture and home economics, and to encourage the application of the same.

A definition of Extension is also provided:

That cooperative agricultural Extension work shall consist of the giving of instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics.

In its present form, however, this section of the Smith-Lever Act has been amended to read:

"agriculture and home economics and subjects relating thereto."

Intended to cover 4-H and other Extension activities not mentioned specifically, this change of wording was made in 1953. The addition is explained in the report of the House Committee on Agriculture accompanying the proposed consolidation of laws relating to Cooperative Agricultural Extension work. In the words of the report:

The phrase “and subjects relating thereto” is added to the language of the Smith-Lever Act to make certain that the new legislation will authorize all those extension activities, such as 4-H Club work, education in rural health and sanitation, and similar aspects of the manifold extension program heretofore authorized and now being carried on under existing law.

Even before Smith-Lever, activities for rural children and youth were integral to the growing program of farm and home demonstration work. 1Boys' and girls' clubs, complete with demonstration projects, study materials, contests and prizes, had been organized in many rural communities by 1910. Early farm and home demonstration agents soon learned that boys and girls were often more open to learning new production methods than their parents. They also found that by working with youth, the parents were reached more effectively.

South Carolina Representative Asbury F. Lever entered a clear indication of Congressional intent that youth activities be included under the Extension act in a written report to the House on December 8, 1913. This report accompanied the bill destined to become the Smith-Lever Act. In it, Lever acknowledged that:

one of the main feature of this bill is that it is so flexible as to provide for the inauguration of a system of itinerant teaching for boys and girls.

Lever also wrote:

My efforts to secure the passage of the Smith-Lever Act had the most encouragement from the achievements of the members of the corn and tomato clubs and I hope sincerely that a large share of this money will be devoted to an expansion of the work with young folks.

(Later established by Secretary of Agriculture that a "large share" would be at least 25%.)

Capper-Ketcham Act

Youth club work was given specific mention in the Capper-Ketcham Act signed into law May 22, 1928. Later repealed, the Capper-Ketcham Act made reference to Extension youth programs in this statement of purpose:

to further develop the cooperative Extension system in agriculture and home economics, with men, women, boys and with girls.

Another clear statement of Congressional intent that 4-H is an important and permanent segment of the total Extension program under Smith-Lever, though not specifically mentioned in the wording of the act, emerged in Senate debate in May, 1953. As reported in the Congressional Record on May 21, 1953, the debate dealt with a proposal to amend the Smith-Lever Act to include the words "4-H Club work."

Because of its interest to 4-H leaders, the brief debate is presented here in full. The speakers are Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan, Senator Edward Thye of Minnesota, and Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. President, I had asked that there be an amendment on page 2, line 24, of the bill to strike out the words "and home economics" and in lieu thereof to insert a comma and the words, "home economics, 4-H Club work." I should like to ask the distinguished Senator in charge of the bill whether such an amendment might be made unnecessary by a statement as to what is intended by the phraseology of the bill. Is it the Senator's construction of, the wording of Senate bill 1679, "the giving of instruction and practical demonstrations in agriculture and home economics and subjects relating thereto," that it includes 4-H Club work? I am informed that at a stage of the drafting of this bill the definition of cooperative agricultural extension work included 4-H Club work as an expressed part of the definition. It is my understanding that the omission of this phrase in the bill was solely for the purpose of avoiding any implication that phases of extension work not expressly mentioned would, thereby be excluded and that there is no intention to narrow the present concept of agricultural extension work or to imply in any way that the work of the 4-H Clubs is not to continue. I am sure that all of the Senators will concur in my view that the work with our rural youth is of prime importance in the conduct of extension work, and deserves to receive and to continue to receive the fullest attention. Therefore, with the understanding and assurance that the 4-H Club work will be regarded as fully covered by this consolidated legislation I am ready to approve this bill. Can the Senator so state?

Mr. THYE. Mr. President, it is my understanding that the situation is as stated by the Senator from Michigan, and that is my interpretation of the language.

Mr. COOPER. Mr. President, will the Senator yield?

Mr. THYE. I yield.

Mr. COOPER. Is there any question at all as to the continuance of 4-H Club work?

Mr. THYE. There is absolutely none, I can assure the Senator from Kentucky.

Mr. COOPER. Then, why has the question been raised?

Mr. FERGUSON. Because the 4-H Clubs, having in mind the wording in the bill, feared that there was an intention to eliminate 4-H Club work. I wanted to make sure that was not the case.

Mr. COOPER. Is there any reason why it should not be so stated?

Mr. FERGUSON. It was not desired to name all such organizations. I was perfectly satisfied with the explanation that the bill does include 4-H Club work, and that it would be better not to chance the language.

Mr. THYE. The statement of the Senator from Michigan is correct, because if we named one, we would have to enumerate all of them, and to avoid the enumeration of all, the language in the bill was adopted.

Mr. COOPER. Does the Senator state that 4-H Club work will be continued indefinitely?

Mr. THYE. Oh, yes. I would not even be a party to putting so much as a straw in the way of the 4-H Club movement, because of its excellent achievements.

Mr. COOPER. I wanted the Senator to make that statement so it would appear in the Record.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. President, I withdraw my amendment and ask that the bill be passed.

Smith-Lever Amendment

The proposal to amend Smith-Lever to include specific reference to 4-H failed to receive serious Senate consideration. Debate did provide the most clear and direct statement to date of Congressional intent on the support and permanence of 4-H work under the law, however. Even though not mentioned in the basic act, there is clear and fundamental Congressional intent that 4-H work be a continuous and integral part of the Extension program under Smith-Lever.

Title XIV

The first wording of 4-H in the official legislation appeared in Public Law 97-98, December 22.1981. "Title XIV -National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1981" under section (e) Promotion of the Health and, Welfare of People includes:

The rapid rate of social change, economic instability, current energy problems increase the need for expanded programs of research and Extension in family financial management, housing and home energy consumption food preparation and consumption human development (including youth programs), and development of community services and institutions.

In the "Definitions" Section 1404:

Section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension and teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103 was amended.

(1) Amending paragraph (8) to read as follows: "The term 'food and agricultural sciences' means basic, applied and developmental research Extension, and teaching activities in the food, agricultural, renewable natural resources, forestry and physical and social sciences, in the broadest sense of the terms, including but not limited to, activities relating to:

(a) agriculture, including soil and water conservation and use, the use of organic waste materials to improve soil tilth and fertility, plant and animal production and protection and plant and animal health;

(b) the processing, distributing, marketing, and utilization of food and agricultural products;

(c) forestry, including range management, production of forest and range products, multiple use of forest and rangelands and urban forestry;

(d) aquaculture;

(e) home economics, including consumer affairs, food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, housing and family well-being and financial management;

(f) rural community welfare and development;

(g) youth development, including 4-H clubs;

(h) domestic and export market expansion for United States agricultural products; and

(i) production inputs, such as energy, to improve productivity.

This Act helps to clarify that youth development, including 4-H clubs is a program area of concern to Congress and that it has been identified as a responsibility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in cooperative research, Extension and teaching efforts. 4-H is an Extension education program for youth that provides one of the major audiences and structures for reaching the basic objective of youth development as well as meeting future needs in agricultural system productivity, natural resources, energy human nutrition and international understanding.

For an historically complete account of youth activities in the demonstration and Extension movement see:

Alfred Charles True, A History of Agricultural Extension Work in the United States 1785-1923 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1928) ;

Franklin M. Reck, The 4-H Story A History of 4-H Club Work (Ames, Iowa: The Iowa State College Press, 1951);

United States House of Representatives, Hearings, Report, and Debate: Smith-Lever Act of 1914 (Reproduced October 1959 by the Virginia Agricultural Extension Service, Blacksburg, Virginia);

Cooperative Agricultural Extension Work....Report , (To accompany H. R. 7951.]

63d Congress, 2d Session, House Report 110, 13 p. (Submitted by Rep. Asbury F. Lever, December 8, 1913.)

Prepared by V. Milton Boyce, Assistant Deputy Administrator, 4-H Youth USDA Extension Service 4-H, Washington, D.C.