At the 1935 national convention, a Massachusetts delegate, Alfred Vaughan, was the first member to broach the subject of girls being allowed membership.
However, the question of female membership during the convention was quickly dropped.
The issue received little attention until the 1964 National FFA Convention, but again it was quickly defeated. Two years later, it was defeated again.
By 1967, over 3,000 girls were enrolled in vocational agricultural classes nationwide, and in 1968, Donald Shinn from New Jersey declared on the business floor, “Any student who is regularly enrolled in vocational agriculture is entitled to become an active member of any chartered FFA chapter.”
The motion was quickly seconded; however, the motion was defeated.
Finally, one year later, on Oct. 15, 1969, Paul Bankhead of California moved and Robert Craig of Michigan seconded to strike the word male from the constitution and replace it with "any student."
The motion carried - by a two-vote margin.
Since 1969, women have served as convention delegates, national officers and even been named the American Star Farmer. Nearly half of all FFA members are women, and females hold approximately 50 percent of state leadership positions.
(Source - www.ffa.org/ffa-history/the-fight-for-female-membership)
First DCHS girl to join FFA
The fall of 1972, Jackie Lotker blazed the trail for all DCHS girls. She joined FFA her freshman year, and her freshman project included two heifers, two calves, a show steer, and two horses.
She was on the livestock-judging team, and she was also a member of 4-H and Saddle Club.
She and Patsy Mosier were also the first girls at DCHS to take an ag class. They learned welding, oxy-acetylene torch, gas forge, soldering, and cold and sheet metal work.
In the picture are Patsy, Jackie (in the middle), and Jim Lawn.
Oberlin's First Female FFA Officer
Junior Penny Fisher also blazed a trail for DCHS girls. As a junior, she was the first female FFA officer. She was also on the newspaper and yearbook staff, the speech and debate teams, and choir.
In FFA, she was a Star Greenhand her freshman year and on the livestock judging team all four years.
Before girls were able to become FFA members in 1969, one way they could become involved was by being chosen as Chapter Sweetheart. 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.
Pictured is Donna Guinn - the 1969 State FFA Sweetheart; she was first crowned the DCHS FFA Sweetheart and then won the Northwest Kansas district title - before being chosen as the State FFA Sweetheart.
List of FHA Princes and Sweethearts (If you can fill in any of the missing years, please email that information to lirmbrenda@gmail.com).
1958 – Mary Zander
1959 –
1960 –
1961 – Connie Pollnow
1962 – Leola Muirhead – Bob DeMay
1963 – Gene Morford – Cheryl McKay
1964 – Steve Corder – Linda Bryan
1965 – Gary Richards – Gwen Smith
1966 – Jerry Fortin – Connie Olson
1967 – Gerald Benda – Carol Pollnow
1968 – Ron Hunziker – Donna Guinn
1969 – Mike Pollnow – Annette Sulzman (a taffy pull replaced the box supper)
1970 – Ronnie Blackwell – Elaine Hessenflow
1971 – Dave Juenemann – Ceanne Helm
1972 – Rod Bryan – Cindy Macy
1973 – Scott Hodson – Cindy Schissler
1974 – Jon Lippelmann – Patty Williby
1975 – Mark Olson – Gail Euhus
1976 – Gary Meitl – Cinda Rush
1977 – Brent Anderson – Regina Dellere
1978 – Joe Schwab – Dana Wilson
1979 – Mike Neff – Christine Rippe
1980 – Tom Neff – Lori Helmkamp
1981 – Kevin Wurm – Annette Richardson
1982 – Doug Richards – Kendall Wilson
1983 – Jason Fortin – Carin Cheney
1984 – Ward Votapka – Becky Tally
1985 – Corey Raulston – Jodi Votapka
1986 – Brad Burmaster - Stephanie Unger
1987 – Billy Harmon – Dea Macfee
1988 – Kurt Bennett – Chris Stanley
1989 –
1990 – Heather Wendelin
1991 – Marie Plotts
1992 –
1993 – Michelle Stoney
1994 – Tammy Gutchewsky
