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COMMISSIONER DOUGLASS COLLECTS TOP AWARD AT MILESTONE FFA NATIONAL CONVENTION
The date was October 23, 1947. Jackie Robinson was playing his first season for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the U.S. military was busy convincing the public there were no little green men in Roswell, and Chuck Yeager had just broken the sound barrier not quite two weeks earlier. Hillary Rodham was not due to be born for another three days.
Inside Kansas City’s Westport Presbyterian Church stood 20-year-old Gus Douglass and Anna Lee Roush. He had just finished presiding over the Future Farmers of America’s “Victory Convention,” the first and only West Virginian to serve as national FFA president. She was probably thinking about their wedding plans, which had taken an unexpected turn.
The couple was to have wed upon their return home from the national convention, but Douglass’ FFA friends had a different idea in mind. A number of the conventioneers would be extending their stay in Kansas City one more day and all the plans were in place. International Harvester would provide the limousine. FFA Executive Secretary A.W. Tenney would give away the bride and National FFA Vice President Bob Taylor of Oregon would serve as best man. The flowers from the convention stage would be moved to the church for decoration.
Sixty years later, nearly to the day, Gus and Anna Lee returned to the national FFA convention to mark their diamond anniversary – and for the 10-term West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture to accept FFA’s Distinguished Service Citation, the organization’s highest award presented to an organization, agency business, industry or other group for significant contributions to agricultural education.
“I will be forever indebted to FFA. I certainly don’t think I would have gotten as far as I have without the skills and opportunities I received through my membership,” said Commissioner Douglass. “This award means a tremendous amount to me because, as Commissioner of Agriculture, I have always tried to focus on the future of agriculture and that future depends on our young people and the education they receive.
“To have Anna Lee by my side at the convention was a pleasure beyond words. It’s difficult to believe so many years have passed, but in my eyes, she’s still the beautiful young girl who was with me in Kansas City,” he said.
Commissioner Douglass received the Distinguished Service Citation at FFA’s 80th national convention, held October 24-27 in Indianapolis, site of the organization’s new national headquarters. Members of the West Virginia State FFA Association and National FFA Organization staff nominated the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. The National FFA Board of Directors approved the nomination.
Besides holding the FFA president’s office at the state and national level, Commissioner Douglass has also been a vocal supporter of FFA programs and projects throughout West Virginia, including student livestock projects and auctions. More than $1 million has gone to FFA students at the state show and sale held annually in Charleston. He also helped to organize and found the National FFA Alumni Association and served as its first president in 1972.
FFA is a national youth organization of 495,046 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,242 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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