Seventeen lifelong 4-H supporters from southeastern Louisiana were inducted into the state 4-H Hall of Fame. They, or their representatives are, seated, from left: Darlene Jones representing Stella Jones, Ivory Lee Willams, Nedra Ramagos representing Cecil Ramagos Sr., George Simoneaux, Maxine Olinde, Barbara Fletcher representing Bobby Fletcher Sr. Standing, from left, are: Sandra Sampson representing Clayton Matthew Sampson, Donna Beth Adams Karl, Delos Jones, Gloria Catlett and Charles André representing Josephine André, Louis Mouch, Sally Thomas, Christy Sorenson representing Margaret Lass Sorenson. (Click on photo to download.) (Photo by Mark Claesgens.)

HAMMOND – Seventeen lifelong 4-H supporters from southeastern Louisiana were inducted into the Louisiana state 4-H Hall of Fame April 20. They are among the first 100 chosen statewide for the honor during the 100th anniversary of 4-H in Louisiana this year.

Inductees and their parishes include: J. Austin Daniel, West Feliciana; Beth Langois Dawson, East Feliciana; Gary James Hebert, Iberville; Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden, East Baton Rouge; Delos Jones, Tangipahoa; Stella Jones, West Feliciana; Donna Beth Adams Karl, St. Helena; Louis Mouch Jr., West Baton Rouge; C.J. Naquin, East Baton Rouge; Maxine Olinde, Pointe Coupee; George Simoneaux, East Baton Rouge; Margaret Lass Sorenson, Livingston; Sally Thomas, Washington; and Ivory Lee Williams, Iberville.

Honorees inducted posthumously include: Josephine Cashio André, Pointe Coupee; Dr. Bobby Fletcher Sr., St. Tammany; Cecil Ramagos Sr., Iberville; and Clayton Matthew Sampson, East Feliciana.

“The enthusiasm, the energy and the dedication shown by this group through years of hard work is what has kept Louisiana 4-H strong,” said Dwight Landreneau, LSU AgCenter associate vice chancellor and associate director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

Also honored at the ceremony was Jack Roy, whose grandfather, V.L. Roy, is credited with creating the first “Corn Club,” which became 4-H in Louisiana. Roy said is grandfather was the school superintendent in Avoyelles Parish.

“The idea for the Corn Club came down to my grandfather from Indiana. Their first meeting was in Moreauville High School and over 250 students attended that meeting,” Roy said.

Renee Castro, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent and centennial coordinator, said this is the last of the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies that have been held across the state.

“We have the 100 hall of famers that we set out for to represent the 100 years of 4-H in Louisiana. At the beginning, we asked that each parish submit three people, and we guaranteed one inductee from each parish,” she said.

Each inductee will be represented in the state 4-H Museum that is slated to open in December in Mansura.

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Contacts: Dwight Landreneau at (225) 578-2391 or dlandreneau@agcenter.lsu.edu
Renee Castro at (985) 369-6386 or rnaquin@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer: Johnny Morgan at (225) 578-8484 or jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu