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Photo by Rick Moses In 1957 a grant of $200,000 was made by the Danforth Foundation of St. Louis, Missouri, to the National 4-H Club Foundation for its renovation and remodeling program. An area directly behind Smith Hall (now J. C. Penney Hall) was designated as Danforth Court and a bronze statue, symbolic of an American rural boy was presented to the Center for display in the new courtyard. This memorial honored the late William H. Danforth, founder of the Ralston Purina Company, who spent a lifetime challenging young people. William H. Danforth and his wife established the Danforth Foundation in 1927 as a personal family trust fund to work through schools and colleges to aid young people in their development toward becoming wholesome and useful citizens. As a sickly farm boy in southeast Missouri, William H. Danforth was dared by his teacher to become "the healthiest boy in the class." He lived that dare and used it to challenge youth to newer goals and higher ideals. In 1924, Danforth and a group of friends organized the American Youth Foundation to train young men and women in Christian ideals and help them to prepare for a life of responsibility and leadership. As president of this Foundation, Danforth helped establish Camp Miniwanca near Shelby, Michigan. At the time of his death in 1955, he had spent more than 30 summers as a counselor at this camp. Danforth advocated the "Four-Square" philosophy of life. He believed a person had not one, but four lives to live. He would draw the familiar checkerboard to illustrate this philosophy. On the left side of the checker he would write "physical"; at the top he wrote "mental"; on the right side went "social"; and at the base of the checker was "religious." Danforth believed that a man’s ingredients for life are a body, a mind, personality and character, and that all four must grow in balance with each other. This philosophy is further memorialized on the base of the statue in Danforth Court at the 4-H Center. Two of these four mottos, written by Danforth, provide a challenging goal for the IFYE delegates and exchangees as they begin their experiences:
Stand tall, Think tall, Smile tall, Live tall; Aspire Nobly, Adventure Daringly, Serve Humbly.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially cut the ribbon to open the National 4-H Center on June 16, 1959. Later that same day the Danforth Statue was unveiled at 4 p.m. The bronze statue of a typical American farm youth in all of his strength and vigor was presented to the Center as part of the gift from the Danforth Foundation. In making the presentation of the statue, Donald D. Danforth, president of the Danforth Foundation, said it was appropriate that a memorial to his father be erected at the National 4-H Center. "My father," he said, "had a unique ability to challenge youth, to make them dream big dreams, and to stimulate them to make those dreams come true." "Stimulating young people is a tradition in the Danforth family," said C. A. Vines, Director of Extension in Arkansas, as he introduced Donald Danforth, during the dedication presided over by 4-H Club member, Edwin Turner. The statue was unveiled by Miss Marilyn Vieira, 4-H member from California, and Marshall Wheelock, 4-H member from Vermont, followed by Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson’s acceptance and prayers of dedication by the Reverend Luther D. Miller, Canon Precentor, Washington Cathedral. "The world has need for tall people, tall in character. The 4-H Club movement is one of the best steps I know toward becoming a bigger and better person," Secretary Benson said in concluding his talk. In fairness, during the National 4-H Conference in 1963, on April 22, the Danforth Foundation presented a companion bronze statue of a "Typical 4-H Girl" to be placed at the National 4-H Center. The statue is located in Danforth Courtyard facing the boy statue. Presenting the statue to America’s 4-H’ers, Donald Danforth told some 200 Club members, their leaders, and many guests gathered for the occasion that "both halves of our youth must be represented. Almost four years ago we met here to dedicate, in honor of the memory of my father, William H. Danforth, the Danforth Court and the statue of the typical 4-H boy. We are meeting here today to make this tribute to youth complete... to present officially the statue of the typical 4-H girl. We hope the Danforth Court and these two statues representing all youth will challenge and inspire and dare those who visit here to set high goals of living." Carl C. Mose, sculpturer of the typical 4-H boy and girl statues, was on hand to see his latest work unveiled. Mose was praised highly by Danforth for "so ably" portraying American youth in the bronze figures. Miss Jean Kygar of Hewins, Kansas, accepted the statue in behalf of the 2-1/2 million 4-H’ers throughout the country. Now, over 50 years later, this pair of bronze statues, facing each other, continue to have a commanding presence in the Danforth Courtyard.
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Compiled by National 4-H History Preservation Team. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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