FFA Emblem and Jacket

The current emblem features five symbols representing the history, goals and ambition of the National FFA Organization - the rising sun, plow, owl, eagle, and ear of corn.

The FFA insignia is described in the first FFA Manual from 1929-1930:

The insignia of the Future Farmers of America shall be made up of four symbols:

1. the plow, representing tillage of the soil, the basis of modern agriculture

2. the owl, representing wisdom

3. the rising sun, representing progress

4. a cross section of an ear of corn, which is on the outside edges. Corn represents common agricultural interests, since corn is native to America and grown in every state.

"The insignia shall carry the three letters 'F.F.A.' and the emblems shall be uniform for all States."

One part of the emblem that is often overlooked is the eagle at the top. In early FFA history, the eagle was left off in preference for a simple circular image. Once the trademark of the emblem was secured, the eagle became a permanent feature.

While the FFA emblem has largely remained consistent throughout its history, the most significant change occurred in 1989 when the wording on the emblem was updated from "Vocational Agriculture" to "Agricultural Education."

Beyond that, the emblem has seen minor refreshes over time, primarily focusing on digital enhancements to maintain clarity and definition in the design elements like the eagle, owl, and plow, while preserving the core symbolism of the original emblem. (Source: "What in an Emblem," www.ffa.org).

Above is the original emblem that Mr. Groseclose created for the Future Farmers of Virginia. He used this sketch to create the National FFA emblem.

The blue jacket’s origin dates back to 1933 when FFA adviser Gus Linter from Ohio saw a blue corduroy jacket hanging inside a local hardware store. Linter purchased the jacket, then connected with a supplier and had his chapter’s name — Fredericktown FFA — stitched on the back in gold lettering.

At the 1933 National FFA Convention in Kansas City, the members of Linter’s chapter (pictured) debuted their blue jackets. They were so popular, the convention’s official delegates made them part of the official FFA attire. (Source: Jessica Boehm, "History of the FFA Jacket," www.ffa.org.)

In honor of its role in FFA history, Fredericktown, Ohio, was selected by the Ohio Historical Society to receive an Ohio Historical Marker for being home of the FFA jacket. The plaque was unveiled at Fredericktown High School in September 2018.

In the early days, each jacket was hand-embroidered, says Lisa Barger, National FFA director of merchandise and membership services. The process of producing a jacket, which now takes an average of 1.6 yards of corduroy to create, has since become more mechanized.

The millionth FFA jacket was sold in 1964, and by 1976, 2 million jackets had been sold. Today, more than 80,000 jackets are sold annually.

Below are the 1975 FFA officers in their blue corduroy jackets: Greg Long, Joe Metcalf, Jon Lippelmann, Floyd Badsky, Mark Olson, and Mark Bogart.

When FFA members think of Official Dress, they may not realize how much it has changed over the years. The first FFA Official Dress standards included a dark blue shirt, blue or white pants, blue cap, and a yellow tie.

Before finalizing these standards, FFA experimented with a few different looks, according to Denise Rayman, digital archivist at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. These included an introduction of the first FFA uniform, which consisted of a military-style shirt, pants and hat.

From the 1957 scrapbook - Pictured are Delmar Richardson, Robert Wurm, Carrol Hoffbauer, and Vyrl Rush.

Most recently in 2016 FFA delegates voted to make FFA Official Dress standards more inclusive. Members can now wear skirts or pants, as well as religious attire, while representing the organization.

Today’s official dress:

• Jacket: The iconic blue jacket should be zipped to the top. The collar should be turned down and the cuffs buttoned.
• Shirt: A white collared shirt or blouse
• Pants: Black slacks or a black skirt
• Socks or nylons: Black socks or nylons
• Shoes: Black dress shoes with a closed heel and toe
• Tie or scarf: An official FFA tie or scarf

Before girls were able to become FFA members in 1969, one way they could become involved was by being chosen as Chapter Sweetheart, like Ceanne Helm in 1971 (pictured).

After being selected by members, these females often represented an FFA chapter at events and other functions and wore rayon or corduroy custom white or sky-blue jackets.

1962 DCHS FFA Sweetheart - Leola Muirhead in her white FFA jacket

In the beginning when FFA was a male-only organization, they didn’t have anything about skirts or black nylons. However, in 1969 after girls were accepted into the organization, there was an all-girls committee with recommendations for the official dress for girls in the National FFA Organization: a white collared blouse, black or gold skirt, black dress shoes, and a blue FFA scarf.

Upcoming articles -

the FFA Creed

"Girls in FFA"

State and American Farmers, State officers

If you have found any mistakes, please let me know at lirmbrenda@gmail.com.)