Posted on March 31, 2011 at 10:38 AM by Global Reach
Clifford Johnson has had a long career with 4-H. He was born in Elkhorn in 1910 and started his 4-H career in 1923. He was a member of the Elkhorn 4-H Club from 1923-1927. In 1924 Cliff showed the Grand Champion Calf at the Shelby County Fair and the Reserve Grand Champion Hereford at the Iowa State Fair. There were no trucks, so Cliff had to ride in a box car to the County and State Fair with his calves. Cliff followed his success by showing the Grand Champion County Fair Calf and the Reserve Champion 4-H Calf at the Iowa State Fair. That year, he went to an International show in Chicago and also won the Grand Champion 4-H Calf. Besides showing cattle in 4-H, Cliff was also very active in the Shelby County Livestock Judging Team and he was a delegate to the National 4-H Congress (held in Chicago back then) in 1924. He was also selected as a delegate by Iowa State to go to Congress a second time in 1927.
When Clifford graduated high school, his 4-H career did not end. He was a member of the Collegiate 4-H Club at Iowa State and was selected to sing a solo at a National 4-H program over W.H.O. radio in Des Moines. Many prominent people including First Lady Herbert Hoover were on hand at the event.
Cliff was a club agent in Page County in 1935 and 1936. He was County Extension Director and 4-H agent in Ringgold County 1937-1941. He was County Extension Director in West Pottawattamie County beginning in 1942. During this time Clifford helped the 4-H program grow from 3 boys clubs and 5 girls clubs to 14 boys clubs and 17 girls clubs and over 481 members.
In 1957 the American Hereford Association selected Cliff for his outstanding leadership for Livestock and the 4-H and Youth Programs.
The “People to People” organization selected Cliff to conduct a Good Will 4-H Tour of Europe in 1968. Cliff chaperoned 4-H members from across the state, while visiting Scotland, Sweden, England, Denmark, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Holland.
Most recently, Cliff was invited to Page County to be a special guest speaker at the 100 years of 4-H celebration. His speech was videotaped and placed on file in the Page County Museum in Clarinda.
Cliff is a donor to the Iowa 4-H Foundation and has given his time and talent to 4-H youth and their families from 1923-1976. Cliff still offers his support to the 4-H Program and can still be spotted in the stands at the Beef Show at County Fair.
West Pottawattamie is proud to have Clifford Johnson in the 4-H Hall of Fame for 2004.
Categories: Pottawattamie (West)
