FFA History

  • 1917-The National Vocational Education Act

    The Smith-Hughes Vocational
    Education Act, Georgia
    Congressman that established
    agriculture courses
  • 1925

    Virginia Tech Ag Teachers
    Henry Groseclose, Harry Sanders, Edmund C. Magill, Walter S. Newman
    Discussed an organization involving
    agriculture for boys
    Future Farmers of Virginia served as
    the model for the Future Farmers of
    America (FFA)
  • 1928

    Future Farmers of America
    Established in Kansas City, MO
    First National Convention in Kansas
    City, Mo
    33 Delegates, 18 states
    Leslie Applegate of New Jersey was
    elected to be the first National FFA
    President
  • 1929

    Official Colors established
    National Blue and Corn Gold
    First National chapter contest
    launched and sponsored by the Farm
    Journal
    First Official FFA Manual of the
    organization was written
  • 1930

    Official FFa Creed adopted
    Written by E.M. Tiffany
    First Official Dress uniform was
    adopted..
    Dark blue shirt
    Blue or white pants
    Blue cap
    Yellow tie
    Delegates restrict membership to
    boys only
    First official FFA Manual was printed
    with a grant from the Farm Journal
    Press if Philadelphia, PA
  • 1933

    Blue Corduroy jacket is
    adopted as Official
    Dress
  • 1935

    New Farmers of
    America established
    Organization of
    African American
    young men
    Active FFA membership
    exceeded 100,000
    members
  • 1939

    First FFA owned
    National headquarters
    land purchased
  • 1944

    Future Farmers of America
    Foundation is formed in Washington
    D.C.
    138,548 FFA members served in
    World War II
    First National FFA Agriculture
    Proficiency Awards presented
  • 1947

    First national FFA Band performance
    at National FFA Convention
    FFA Weed established during the
    week of George Washington’s B-Day
  • 1948

    First National FFA
    chorus performance
    First National FFA talent
    contest at convention
    Record jump in
    membership from
    238,269 in 1947 to
    260,300
  • 1950

    President Harry Truman
    granted a Federal
    Charter to FFA
  • 1952

    Code of Ethics adopted
    The 1st issue of the
    National Future Farmer
    Magazine was published
  • 1959

    First National
    Leadership Training
    Conference Held
  • 1965

    New Farmers of America
    merges with the FFA
  • 1969

    FFA opens membership
    to girls
    Washington Conference
    (now WLC) begins
  • 1971

    National FFA Alumni is
    founded
  • 1973

    Official dress standards
    are created
  • 1974

    Fred McClure from the
    Texas FFA Association
    is named the first
    African-American
    elected to National FFA
    Office
  • 1976

    Julie Smiley from WA is
    named the first female
    to hold national office Alaska becomes the last
    of the 50 states to
    obtain a national charter
  • 1988

    Future Farmers of America (FFA)
    changes its name to the National
    FFA Organization To reflect the growing diversity in
    the ag industry 7th and 8th grade students are
    allowed to become FFA members
  • 1996

    The official website for
    the FFA debuts www.ffa.org
  • 1999

    72nd National FFA Convention is
    held in Louisville, Ky First national creed speaking event
    held Michael Von Winkle of the
    Arkansas FFA Assoc. Wins
  • 2003

    “FFA Live” is launched
    on RFD TV
  • 2004

    First live webcast from
    ffa.org of the 77th
    annual National FFA
    Convention
  • 2005

    National FFA launched Seeds of
    Hope, a fundraising campaign to
    rebuild Gulf Coast states’ agriculture
    education and FFA programs
    following Hurricane Katrina FFA foundation breaks the $10
    million mark in raising money for FFA
    programs and services
  • 2006

    The 79th National FFA Convention is
    held in Indianapolis for the first time,
    with 54,589 in attendance The FFA Foundation announces its
    first $1 million contribution to the
    Ford Motor Company
  • 2007

    The FFA Merchandise Center opens
    in Indianapolis FFA membership exceeds the
    half-million mark with 500,823
    members in 7,358 chapters
  • 2009

    FFA celebrates 40 years of women in
    the organization
  • 2014

    5 FFA jackets are added
    to the Smithsonian’s
    National Museum of
    American History
  • 2019

    Student membership
    hits an all-time high with
    700,170 members in
    8,612 chapters