NC Cooperative Extension

Alexander Bailey was hired by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station (located at A&M College) as the first African American agricultural extension agent.

Home Demonstration began when the first Girls' Clubs were formed. They focused primarily on tomato canning and gardening and were also called Tomato Clubs. In 1912-1913, mothers of Girls' Club members formed the first Home Demonstration clubs for adult women.

Jane S. McKimmon became the first woman to serve as a state home demonstration agent through the Agricultural Extension program at A&M College.

The Smith-Lever Act provided for federal, state, and county cooperation in creating a system to expand demonstration and extension work for men and women. The law authorized land-grant colleges to sign memoranda of understanding with the USDA to begin such work. NC State then created a new Department of Extension, which became the Agricultural Extension Service.

The first club for African American youth was created in Sampson County under the leadership of G. W. Herring.

Benjamin W. Kilgore became the first director of the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service.

John Wray became the first statewide African American youth club agent.

The first annual 4-H Club Week was held in Raleigh. This annual event later became known as the NC 4-H Congress.

This was the first periodical published by the Agricultural Extension Service. Later titles for the publication were Extension Farm News, Extension News & Advisor, and North Carolina Agricultural Extension Advisor.

The Girls' Club split off from Home Demonstration, and they eventually became part of 4-H.

The first Home Demonstration programs were organized for African American women.

The first Farm Women's Convention was held in Raleigh. It was held in connection with the annual Farmer's Convention, which began in 1903.

Swine Extension agents set up a demonstration in front of the old Pullen Hall during the Farmer's Convention in August 27-29, 1919.

North Carolina Home Demonstration clubs joined to create the North Carolina Federation of Home Bureaus. It was decided and announced at the Farm Men and Farm Women's Convention in Raleigh.

Elimination of this pest with the state's cotton crop became a major priority of the Agricultural Extension Service.

Ricks Hall, built by Thomas Wright Cooper and G. Murray Nelson, opened to house the Agricultural Extension Service, agricultural economics and business, agricultural information, and horticulture departments. It was named for Robert Henry Ricks.

The first African American Home Demonstration agents were appointed to work with African American farm women, who formed the first African American clubs.

Ira O. Schaub became director of the Agricultural Extension Service. He held the position until 1950. In 1926, he also became Dean of Agriculture and in 1937 Director of Agricultural Research.

The Federation of Home Bureaus changed to the North Carolina Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs.

Robert Walter Graeber was hired as the extension forester. He served in this position until 1949.

Lera R. Harrill was appointed State 4-H Club Leader. He held this position until 1963.

The first State 4-H Short Course for African American youth was held at North Carolina A&T College in Greensboro.

This camp was located in Bladen County, and it was one of the first 4-H Camps in North Carolina.

The Xi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi was founded at NC State College. It has been an honorary fraternity for professional members of the Cooperative Extension programs.

Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs held its first separate business meeting called the State Council meeting.

Located in Buncombe County, this camp was originally twelve agriculturally marginal acres that were part of the Swannanoa Branch Station.

Programs of the federal New Deal agricultural agencies, such as the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), and the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), caused an expansion in the activities and programs of the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service.

As a result of expansion under the New Deal agricultural programs, this was the first year that there was a county agent for every county in North Carolina.

Ruth Current succeeded Jane McKimmon, and she served in the position until 1963.

Sometimes referred to as "the Rocks," this camp was developed originally by the Resettlement Administration on part of the 60,000 acre Sandhills Resettlement Project. It derived its name from the huge granite stones in the area. Starting in 1939, it was the site of the 4-H Wildlife Conservation Camp for several year.

At the 4-H Short Course meeting, a competition was held to select District Kings and Queens of Health. NC State traditionally hosted youth groups on campus during the summers. The North Carolina 4-H Short Courses, State Club Weeks, and State Congresses have been held at NC State since the 1920s.

The 4-H "Food for Victory" program offered awards ranging from to $1 to $250 in war bonds or stamps for farm boys and girls who participated in the "Food for Freedom" extension program. They helped produce more milk, eggs, beef and veal, lamb and mutton, corn, barley, rye, hay, soybeans, peanuts, and vegetables.

The Agricultural Extension Service sponsored "Victory Garden Week." Women across the state started Victory Gardens the following season, and by 1944 the value of home gardens was estimated at $68,000,000.

NC 4-H Club members participated in the first national scrap drive in 1942 by collecting metal, paper, and rubber. In 1943, the National 4-H organization sponsored a "Victory Scrap Drive," and North Carolina 4-H'ers raised $1,700 dollars for the purchase of an ambulance donated to the armed services.

4-H club members began participating in the national "Feed a Fighter" campaign, which consisted of projects to produce the amount of food needed for one serviceman for one year. The state winner raised enough food to feed thirty-four servicemen for one year.

State 4-H Club Leader L. R. Harrill and others watched as the U.S.S. Tyrrell was launched from Wilmington. North Carolina 4-H helped fund and name two warships during World War II.

The State Federation of Negro Home Demonstration Clubs changed to State Council of Negro Home Demonstration Clubs of North Carolina.

The School of Agriculture was reorganized and incorporated three fields of work into the school: teaching, research, and extension.

The Agricultural Extension Service began to assist farm families through planning of new or remodels homes, kitchen and workroom improvements, and added storage. After a few years, thousands of families were helped.

David S. Weaver was director of the Agricultural Extension Service until 1961.

The Plant Disease Clinic was established in the Department of Plant Pathology as a diagnostic clinic for farmers and gardeners in North Carolina, processing plant specimens sent by mail or in person for immediate disease control recommendations. In 1970, the clinic was renamed the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic after bringing on scientists from the Department of Entomology.

Camp J. W. Mitchell opened for African American 4-H youth at Hammock's Beach in Onslow County. Funding for the camp was raised by the 4-H Club Foundation of North Carolina founded in 1950.

The Agricultural Extension Service was given a major role in North Carolina in using federal funds to assist low-income rural families through improved agriculture and nonfarm employment.

Farmers watched a demonstration of State College's fistulated cow during Farm and Home Week in June 1956. Cooperative Extension Service demonstrations like this helped to share knowledge gained at NC State with farmers throughout North Carolina.

Mrs. H. H. Weathers, a member of the Wake County Home Demonstration Club, performed in "Baccy Time in the South" as a part of the Farm and Home Week talent night.

The Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs was changed to the North Carolina Organization of Home Demonstration Clubs.

The forestry extension program was split into extension forest management and extension wood products.

Robert W. Shoffner was director of the Extension Service until 1963.

Forestry extension specialists were transferred from the School of Agriculture to the School of Forestry.

Twenty-three years after Gertrude Cox's appointment, Eloise Cofer, Extension Professor of Food Science and Assistant Director of the Agricultural Extension Service, became the second woman appointed as a full professor at NC State. In 1980, Cofer was named "Home Economist of the Year" by the NC Home Economics Association.

George Hyatt was director of the Extension Service until 1978.

This facility near Reidsville was originally owned by the Consolidated University of North Carolina. Chinqua-Penn Plantation, on which the center is located, was given to the university by the Penn family in 1959.

Extension programs, including 4-H and Home Economics, began to integrate.

The North Carolina Organization of Home Demonstration Clubs and State Council of Negro Home Demonstration Clubs of North Carolina merged to become the North Carolina Extension Homemakers Association.

Known as EFNEP, this program was established to help underprivileged North Carolina citizens better their nutritional standards and to educate them about available food assistance programs.

Extension Forest Management was renamed Extension Forest Resources. The name changed again at a later date to Extension Forestry.

This organization existed as a coalition of the NC Association of County Agricultural Agents; the NC Association of Extension 4-H Agents; the NC Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences; the NC Association of Extension Specialist; the NC Cooperative Extension Secretaries Association; and the NC Association of Extension Program Assistants, Associates and Technicians.

T. Carlton Blalock was director of the Extension Service until 1981.

The NC Agricultural Extension Service published a guide in the Home Extension publication titled, “Physically Handicapped: Aids to Self Help in Homemaking, Grooming & Clothing.”

Chester "Chet" Black was director of the Extension Service until 1990.

The Harrill Suite was named for L. R. Harrill, the former director of the state 4-H organization. He was known as "Mr. 4-H."

James Clark wrote Clover All Over: North Carolina 4-H in Action. A version of the print edition was published in 2011, and it is available in the library.

Robert Wells was director of the Extension Service until 1994.

North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service changed its name to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Home Economics was renamed Family and Consumer Sciences.

The North Carolina Extension Homemakers Association became the North Carolina Extension and Community Association (NCECA).

Jon Ort was director of Extension Service until 2010.

The NC State University Libraries commenced the Green 'n' Growing project to create online access to information on the history of 4-H and home demonstration in North Carolina. Since then, the Libraries has facilitated access to even more materials on NC Cooperative Extension history.

The 4-H program and the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences were combined into one unit.

Joseph Zublena was director of the Extension Service until 2015.

To commemorate more than 100 years of 4-H in North Carolina, an exhibit on the history of the organization was displayed in the D.H. Hill Jr. Library.

Wilma Hammett, Jan Christensen, and Joan Gosper wrote, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Service: To Family, Community, and North Carolina, a history of the family and consumer science program in North Carolina. A print edition exists in the library.

The Department of 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences changed its name to the Department of Youth, Family, and Community Sciences.

A. Rich Bonanno became director of extension in 2016.

The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education merged with the Department of Youth, Family and Community Sciences and became the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences.