Ohio Alpha Eta Chapter
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Ohio Alpha Eta Chapter
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Historical files for the Alpha Eta Chapter are located in the OSU Library's Archives. These files are filed by year and may be viewed by going to: University Archives HistoryIn 1977 Mildred Payne, then the national ESP Secretary-Treasurer was asked to collect material for a 50-year history of ESP, from which most of the following highlights are gleaned. The document is based upon interviews with early Extension workers. Matt Thorfinnson, retired Minnesota agent said that in 1922 he met with W.A. Lloyd, Federal Extension Administrator and Agronomist Ogaard in Montana where they decided there should be an organization for professional Extension workers. They gave it the name of Ancient and Abnormal Order of Buffalo. That name lasted until 1927, when the first chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi was born. From the beginning, it was recognized as an organization for veterans who had been in Extension work for 10 years or more. The emphasis on veterans was so great that it included a unique House of Pioneers, made up of the 232 members who had been in Extension work before the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 In the early years of Extension, Lloyd conducted a survey on tenure. He received responses from 350 Extension workers. He stated: “this group of people had found their place and were doing the things they would choose to do above anything else... A true fraternity already existed. It only remained to name it and formally organize it.” This he did, with the help of a group of Montana Extension veterans, at a meeting in Bozeman, January 10, 1927. As ESP Grand Director in 1929 he said: “Epsilon Sigma Phi represents no selfish purposes. It is not a vehicle for achievement of any personal ambition, for the promotion of any particular propaganda. It is not an agency to put over any plan or scheme of any person or group. Our fraternity must never permit itself to be prostituted as a tool to advance matters concerning which there is wide and settled differences of opinion among Extension workers. Such a path leads to dissension, discord, disaster, and death. We stand to work not for self but for the good of the whole Extension organization. Our Creed expresses our articles of faith, our obligation, a personal pledge of fine toleration, helpfulness, sympathy, and a never dying, always enduring, optimism.” The first ESP Creed was written by Lloyd in 1922 as A New Year greeting to agricultural agents. It was adopted in 1927 by the fraternity with a change of only one paragraph. The second Creed was written in 1960 by Luke Schruben, then ESP secretary-treasurer, and Les Schlup, veteran Federal Extension editor. During 1927, chapters were started in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona. The first national ESP convention was in Reno, Nevada, July 21, 1927, attended by delegates from 10 states, and there a grand council was organized. The Ohio Alpha Eta Chapter of ESP was organized October 17, 1928 at Columbus, Ohio and had 26 members. The officers were: Chief, G.C. Musgrove; Secretary-Treasurer, Minnie Price and Annalist, O.C. Croy. However, the creation of the new fraternity was not entirely without dissent. The Ohio Extension News wrote: “not long ago on this page we wrote mild-mannered sarcasm about the establishment of an Extension honorary fraternity, established for Extension veterans, by Extension veterans, and to do honor to Extension veterans. At that time no Ohio chapter had been established and we said, hopeful, that perhaps Ohio was too ornery to keep step in this new and gaudy procession. “Well we were wrong. Some of the boys in a weak moment succumbed to the blandishments of the tinsel-toters rather than think up reasons for not joining. Had they had time the inclination to think up reasons against such a fraternity they might have included these: 1) Fraternities are strikingly out of place in so democratic a movement as Extension, 2) length of service is an impotent idol before which to worship and 3), 4), and 5) it’s all damfoolishness.” Apparently others in Ohio disagreed with that assessment. However in 1936, Ohio must have again questioned the value of the ESP organization. Correspondence indicates that the Alpha Eta Chapter discussed the possibility of dissolving their chapter. A letter from Madge Reese, ESP Grand Secretary-Treasurer to Alma Garvin, Alpha Eta Secretary-Treasurer asked Ohio to reconsider “the possible surrender of your charter.” Ms Reese also stated: “Even as an honor society, it would seem to be worthwhile maintaining your chapter. You may not need us, but we do need you.” Back in 1922, “Pioneer” agent Mosher wrote in an Illinois bulletin: “I believe that one of the most valuable functions of the Extension Service in the future will be to develop local leaders and give them work to do... I believe that in the future much more of the work of the county farm adviser could well be devoted to finding these potential leaders with their varying talents and helping them to organize for work...” Reviewing the historical documents that are available, it is clear that ESP and Extension have always grappled with serious issues, including funding (Farm Bureaus used to provide funds to hire agents in some cases and the Kellogg Foundation has a long history of funding Extension training), potential unionization of Extension, the inclusion or exclusion of minorities in the organization, and of course professional development, including increased training in behavioral sciences and educational methodology as well as agriculture and home economics. What we are today cannot be separated from who we were in the past. What we will be in the future depends on what we do today. |
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