4-H County Honors
This 1932 County Award is for "Girl's Record" with donor Montgomery Ward
Originally called National Honors, this page covers what is commonly called County Honors - all those pins, medals, charms and more, that had a donor or sponsorship noted on the back.
These awards NEEDED the approval of the County Office.
In the early days of 4H, donors such as Westinghouse would take on the cost of the educational programs for 4H. Sponsoring a 4H program was a source of pride for these companies and they would promote their involvement in their ads.
This page covers 1922 - 1977.
It also covers Specialty Awards, some of which became regular County Awards, others just stayed regional.
Achievement
Active by 1942
No county awards in the early days of the program.
County Award offered by 1951
Donors: President of the United States of America, National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work (1942), Starting in 1962 the Ford Motor Company became the sole donor
Set of 4 state-level 4H Achievement Pins;
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Year 1 - West Virginia (1 green petal)
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Year 2 - California (2 green petals)
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Year 3 - W (Wisconsin? Washington? Wyoming?)
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Year 4 - Hawaii (4 green petals)
Old 4H Achievement Pin with the words; state , school & home, with lamp of knowledge in the center.
This design in use in 1951
4H Achievement Charm
This design in use in 1962
Current design in 2020
Agricultural Program
1955
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Boy's Agricultural Program
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Agriculture
Donor: International Harvester Co. Chicago, IL
Alumni Recognition (Adult Only)
1953
Donors: Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, Plant Food Division
Automotive Program/Automotive
1959 - new
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Automotive (1962)
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Automotive Care and Safety (1963)
Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
Bale of Cotton - Specialty Award
Active as early as 1956, as late as 1977
1956
Beautification of Home Grounds
1942
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Home Grounds Beautification (1946)
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Community Beautification (by 1977)
Donor: Mrs. Charles R Walgreens
1947
Beef
1962 - new
Donors: E.I duPont Nemours & Co., Wilmington, DE (1962)
Celanese Chemical Company, NY (1974)
Post 1977 design
Bee Keeping - Specialty Award
As early as 1966, as late as 1977
Bicycle
1969, specialty award until at least 1977
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, OH
Bread
1952
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Bread Demonstration (1953) - silver medal
Standard Brands Inc., NY NY
Canning
1929
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Food Conservation (Canning Foods)
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Food Conservation, Preservation and Safety
Kerr Glass Company, Sand Springs, OK
Heinz Vinegar (1951)
Citizenship
1948 - new
1951 - 1953 - no medal, 1956 - gold medal
Thomas E Wilson
In memory of Thomas E Wilson (1958)
Reader's Digest Foundation (1962)
Clothing
1941
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Clothing Achievement (1946)
Spool Cotton Company - Educational Bureau, NY NY (1951)
Coats & Clark Inc, NY NY (by 1958, after meager with Spool Cotton Co)
1947
Commodity Marketing
1972 - new
Chicago Board of Trade, IL
Community Beautification - see Beautification of Home Grounds (above)
Conservation - renamed from Soil and Conservation (below)
Consumer Education
Active by 1974
Montgomery Ward, Chicago, IL
Diary (not to be confused with generic Dairy medal offered as early as 1932)
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Dairy Production
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Dairy Achievement
Active by 1951
Lederle Laboratories Division, American Cyanamid Co. NY NY
The Oliver Corporation
Dairy (relaunched)
1974
Insurance Company of North America, Philadelphia, PA
unknown design
Diary Foods Demonstrations
1947
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Dairy Foods
Carnation Company, Los Angeles, CA
1947
1951
Dairy Production Demonstration
Active in 1942
Gone by 1951
Kraft Cheese Company (1942)
Kraft Foods Company, Chicago, IL (1946)
Dog Care and Training
1959
Purina Dog Food Group, Ralson Purina Company, St. Louis, MO
Dress Revue
1929
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Girl's Style Revue
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County Dress Revue
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Fashion Revue
Chicago Mail Order Co.
American Vicose Corporation, NY NY (1946)
Simplicity Pattern Company, NY NY (1947)
Girl's Style Revue Pin
Fashion Revue
Electric
1936
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Rural Electrification Program (original name - 1936)
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Better Methods Electric
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Better farm & home Methods Electric
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Farm & Home Electric (1951)
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Farm & Home Electrification (1958)
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Electric (1958)
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Electric Project
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Electric Energy
Westinghouse Educational Foundation (1958)
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (1974)
Entomology
1952
Hercules Powder Company
Hercules Incorporated, Wilmington, DE (1974)
Farm Accounting - no pin or medal
1936 - new
Fashion Revue - renamed from Dress Revue
after 1977
Simplicity Pattern Company
Simplicity Pattern Co Inc., White/Elna Sewing Maching Co.
Simplicity Pattern Company & Viking White Sewing Machine Company
McCall's Pattern Company & Viking White Sewing Machine Company
FIeld Crops
As early as 1946
International Harvester, Chicago, IL (1951)
Arcadian Products Dept., Allies Chemical Corp. (1958)
Food Preparation
1934 - new
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Food Nutrition
Servel Incorprated - Home Economics Department, Evansville, IN (1942)
Kelvinator Division of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation Dept, Detroit, MI (1951)
Betty Crocker of General Mills (1958)
General Foods Corp., White Plains, NY (1961)
1946
Food Preservation (Canning Foods) - renamed from Canning - see above
Forestry - specialty award for a few years. No county medal - 1951, Gold medal for state winner. Sterling silver pin available 1956, still a specialty award in 1972.
1948
1956
Frozen Foods
1946
International Harvester (1946)
Whirlpool Corporation (1958)
Garden
1946
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Victory Garden (original name) - no medal in 1946
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Gardening
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Horticulture
Allis -Chalmers Manufacturing Co. (1951)
Farm Equipment Div. Allis-Chalmers Mfg Co (1962)
Girl's Record
1922
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Girl's Home Economics
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Home Economics
Montgomery Ward
Health Improvement
1947 - new
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Health (1953)
Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI and Omaha, NE (1951)
Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN (1956)
1932
Home Environment
1962 - new
The Sperry & Hutchinson Foundation Inc, NY NY
The S & H Foundation
Home Improvement
1947 - new
Sears Roebuck Foundation
Home Management
1966 - new
Tupperware Home Parties, Division of Dart Industries, Orlando, FL
Beatrice Foods Company
Horse
launched after 1974, before 1977
unknown sponsor
Leadership
1942 - no county award until 1947
H A Moses and Edward Foss Wilson (1942)
H A Moses and the National Committee Boys and Girls Club Work (1946)
Edward Foss Wilson, President of Wilson & Company, Chicago, IL (1951)
Sears Roebuck Foundation (1962)
Reader's Digest (1973)
Maintenance - See Tractor Maintenance
Meat Animal
1928
Thomas E Wilson, Chairman of Wilson & Company, Chicago, IL (1942)
Thomas E Wilson and National Committee Boys and Girls Club Work (1946)
Petroleum Power - see Tractor Maintenance
Photography
1964 - new
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY
Plant and Soil Sciences
Introduced after 1974, before 1977
Quaker Oats Company
Poultry - not to be confused with generic Poultry medal of 1932
1946 - new
Swift & Company, Chicago, IL (1946)
Dearborn Motor Corp., Birmingham, IL (1951)
Sears Roebuck Foundation (1958)
Heisdorf & Nelson Farms, Inc. (1962)
KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken, Louisville, KY (1973)
Public Speaking - Specialty Award
1949 - new
Pure Oil Company
Union Oil Company of California
Rabbit - County Awards program created after 1977, beyond the scope of this page
Recreation - Rural Arts
1951 - certificate at county level, no medal
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Recreation
United States Rubber Company (1951)
John Deere (1958)
Rural Electrification - see Electric - above
Safety
1944 - new
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Farm Safety
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Farm and Home Safety
General Motors (1946)
Sheep
as early as 1974 - no county winners, state winners received a $50 US Saving Bonds
Wilson & Company
Soil and Conservation
as early as 1946
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Conservation
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, OH
1951 offered as Division A (gold medal) and Division B (silver medal)
1953 offered as Senior Division and Junior Division
Swine
1958 - new
Moorman Manufacturing Company, Quincy, IL
post 1977
Tractor Operator - specialty award
1956 - new
also offered 3 charms; Bronze, Sterling Silver, 1/20th gold
No longer offered by 1975
Tractor Maintenance
1944
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Tractor (1958)
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Petroleum Power
American Oil Company, Humble Oil Company, National Committee Boys and Girls Club Work (gone by 1962), Standard Oil Foundation, Inc., Chicago, IL, Standard Oil Company, KY, Standard Oil Company, OH (gone by 1962), Utah Oil Refining Company (gone by 1962)
Veterinary Science
1968 - new
Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, MI
Victory Achievement
1942 - county medal design unknown
International Harvester Co. (1942)
Victory Garden
1942 - no county winners 1946, county medal design in 1947 same as Garden medal shown above
Sears Roebuck & Company (1942)
Wildlife Conservation - specialty award
unknown years
unknown donors
Wood Science
Offered after 1974, available in 1977
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY
