List of 4-H alumni

4-H alumni have participated in many fields. One out of every seven adults in the U.S. is a former 4-H member. Participation in 4-H events and activities, the value of projects completed, and the challenges and responsibilities experienced in 4-H have contributed to the personal and leadership development of 4-H alumni. A majority of alumni feel that 4-H experiences have also significantly contributed to their success in the workforce and that the knowledge and skills gained through 4-H continue to benefit them in their adult lives.[2]
Many notable politicians, entertainers, athletes, business individuals, and educators got their first start in 4-H.
Political figures

Notable alumni include U.S. President Jimmy Carter,[3] and U.S. Vice Presidents Al Gore[3][4][5][6] and Walter Mondale.[3][6][7]
- Current and former U.S. Senators
 
- Howard Baker[6][7]
 - Birch Bayh[6][7]
 - Sam Brownback[6][7]
 - Dale Bumpers[5][6][7]
 - Conrad Burns[6][7]
 - Ben Nighthorse Campbell[3][6][7]
 - Thad Cochran[5][6][7]
 - Mike DeWine[6][7]
 - Bob Dole[6]
 - Byron Dorgan[6][7]
 - Wendell H. Ford[6][7][8]
 - Bob Graham[6][7]
 - Judd Gregg[6][7]
 - Clifford Hansen[6][7]
 - Tom Harkin[6][7]
 - Orrin Hatch[6][7]
 - Mike Johanns[6][7]
 - Jon Llewellyn Kyl[6][7]
 - Mitch McConnell[6][7][8]
 - Bill Nelson[6][7]
 - Sam Nunn[6][7]
 - Larry Pressler[6][7]
 - Pat Roberts[6][7]
 - W. Kerr Scott[5][7]
 - Jeff Sessions[6][7]
 - Paul Simon[5][6][7]
 - Debbie Stabenow[6][7]
 - Steve Symms[7]
 - Herman Talmadge[5][7]
 - Craig L. Thomas[6][7]
 - Strom Thurmond[6][7]
 - Malcolm Wallop[7]
 
- Current and former U.S. Governors
 - Alabama
 
- Arkansas
 
- Georgia
 
- Hawai'i
 
- Iowa
 
- Kansas
 
- Kentucky
 
- Maine
 
- Michigan
 
- North Carolina
 
- Oklahoma
 - Mary Fallin[7]
 
- North Dakota
 
- Tennessee
 
- Utah
 
- Vermont
 
- Virginia
 
- Wisconsin
 
- Wyoming
 

- Current and former members of Congress include
 
- Carl Albert[5][7]
 - William Vollie Alexander Jr.[6][7]
 - John F. Baldwin Jr.[5][7]
 - Roscoe Bartlett[6]
 - Rick Berg[6]
 - Jaime Herrera Beutler[6]
 - Tom Bevill[7]
 - Rick Boucher[6][7]
 - Allen Boyd[6]
 - William V. Chappell Jr.[7]
 - Donald H. Clausen[5][7]
 - Eva M. Clayton[7]
 - Howard Coble[6][7]
 - Tony Coelho[5][7]
 - Larry Combest[6][7]
 - Jim Cooper[5][6][7]
 - George Darden[7]
 - Robert William Davis[7]
 - Roy Dyson[7]
 - Bill Emerson[7]
 - Glenn English[6][7]
 - Ronnie Flippo[7]
 - William D. Ford[6][7]
 - Virginia Foxx[6][7]
 - Sam Gejdenson[7]
 - William F. Goodling[7]
 - James W. Grant[7]
 - Ralph Hall[6][7]
 - John Paul Hammerschmidt[7]
 - Katherine Harris[7]
 - J.D. Hayworth[6][7]
 - Wally Herger[6][7]
 - Clyde Holloway[7]
 - Jerry Huckaby[7]
 - Kenny Hulshof[6][7]
 - Earl Hutto[7]
 - Ed Jenkins[7]
 - William L. Jenkins[6][7]
 - Chris John[6][7]
 - Ed Jones[5][7]
 - Ron Kind[6][7]
 - Jim Kolbe[5][6][7]
 - Martin Lancaster[5][7]
 - Tom Latham[6][7]
 - Tiffany Lawrence[7]
 - Jim Lightfoot[7]
 - Koln McKay[7]
 - John T. Myers[7]
 - Sue Myrick[6][7]
 - William Flynt Nichols[7]
 - Chip Pickering[6][7]
 - Graham Purcell[5][7]
 - Adam Putnam[6][7]
 - Ralph Regula[6][7]
 - J. Roy Rowland[7]
 - Martin Sabo[6][7]
 - Daniel Schaefer[6][7]
 - Jim Slattery[7]
 - D. French Slaughter[7]
 - Bob Smith[7]
 - Neal Edward Smith[7]
 - Virginia D. Smith[7]
 - John Sparkman[5][7]
 - Floyd Spence[7]
 - David Stockman[6][7]
 - Bob Stump[6][7]
 - Mike Synar[7]
 - Charles H. Taylor[6][7]
 - Gene Taylor[6][7]
 - Lindsay Thomas[7]
 - Bennie Thompson[6][7]
 - Jill Long Thompson[7]
 - Edolphus Towns[6][7]
 - Bob Traxler[7]
 - Morris Udall[6][7]
 - Wes Watkins[7]
 - Vin Weber[7]
 - Jerry Weller[6][7]
 - Jamie Whitten[5][7]
 - Heather Wilson[6][7]
 
Former Puerto Rico Senator Miguel Deynes Soto.[5]
- Cabinet officials
 
- John Rusling Block[6][7] and Ann Veneman,[6][7] former secretaries of Agriculture
 
- First Ladies
 
- Rosalynn Carter[6][7]
 - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis[3][4][6][7][9]
 - Pat Nixon[6][7]
 - Idaho First Lady Patricia Kempthorne[7]
 
- Native Americans
 
Academics

- former Kansas State University President Duane Acker[5][7]
 - former Chancellor of Texas A&M University Perry Adkisson[5][7]
 - former U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander[3][6][7]
 - Nobel Prize winners George Beadle[5][7] and Daniel McFadden[6]
 - former Arizona State University President Lattie Coor[7]
 - Colorado State University System President Tony Frank
 - Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust[6][7]
 - West Virginia University President Gordon Gee[7]
 - Steve Gunderson of the Career Education Colleges and Universities
 - Former University of Illinois President Stanley O. Ikenberry[5][7]
 - Former Yale University President Howard Lamar[7]
 - Former Virginia Tech President William Edward Lavery[5][7]
 - Former University of New Hampshire President Joan Leitzel[7]
 - Former Clemson University President Max Lennon[5][7]
 - Former Auburn University President James E. Martin[5][7]
 - Former Kent State University President Glenn Olds[5][7]
 - Former University of Nebraska President Ronald Roskens[5][7]
 - Former Penn State University President Graham B. Spanier[6]
 - Former University of Maryland President John S. Toll[5][7]
 - Former Mississippi State University President Donald W. Zacharias[7]
 
Arts and literature
- Frank Herbert, American Science Fiction writer[11]
 - Jim Davis, cartoonist[4][6][7][9]
 - Pulitzer Prize winning novelist John Updike[4][6][7]
 
Business and industry
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- Andrew Bosworth of Facebook[13][14]
 - Colby Chandler of Eastman Kodak[5][7]
 - Arnold W. Donald of Carnival Corporation
 - Bob Evans[7]
 - Ken C. Hicks of Footlocker[6]
 - Bill Mensch of the Western Design Center[6]
 - Javier Palomarez of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce[14]
 - Harold Poling of the Ford Motor Company[5][7]
 - Orville Redenbacher[3][5][6][7]
 - Edward B. Rust Jr. of State Farm Insurance[7]
 - Jesse W. Tapp of Bank of America[5][7]
 - Randall L. Tobias of Eli Lilly and Co.[6][7]
 - Leland Tollett of Tyson Foods[7]
 - Frank L. VanderSloot of Melaleuca[6]
 - Nancy Zieman of Sewing with Nancy[5][7]
 
Entertainment and media
- Anne Burrell of the Food Network[13][14]
 - Johnny Carson[3][6][9]
 - Steve Doocy[7]
 - Nancy Grace[6][7][13]
 - Florence Henderson[6]
 - Holly Hunter[6]
 - Karen Kilgariff
 - David Letterman[3]
 - Miss America Jacque Mercer[7]
 - Jim Nabors[6]
 - Aubrey Plaza
 - Donna Reed[6]
 - Julia Roberts[3][4]
 - Sissy Spacek[6]
 - Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat[6]
 
Military

- General Creighton Abrams[7]
 - Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré[7]
 - General Hugh Shelton[7]
 - Brigadier General Wilma Vaught[7]
 
Music
- Roy Acuff[5][6]
 - Luke Bryan[3]
 - Glen Campbell[6]
 - Johnny Cash[3][6]
 - John Denver[6]
 - Vince Gill
 - Faith Hill[3][6][9]
 - Jermaine Jackson[6]
 - Reba McEntire[3][5][6]
 - Sherrill Milnes
 - Jennifer Nettles[3][6]
 - Randy Owen[3]
 - Dolly Parton[3][4][6][9]
 - Charley Pride[6]
 - Kevin Richardson[3][8]
 - Jean Ritchie[5]
 - Roy Rogers[3][5][6]
 - Ricky Skaggs[6][8]
 - Trisha Yearwood[3]
 
Sciences and technology
4-H alumni include the astronauts:
- Bonnie J. Dunbar[7]
 - Ellison Onizuka[7]
 - Jerry L. Ross[7]
 - Alan Shepard[3][5][6][7][9]
 - Peggy Whitson[7]
 - Donald E. Williams[7]
 
Sports
- Robert A. "Bob" Baffert, racehorse trainer[16]
 - Johnny Bench[6][7]
 - U.S. Triple Crown jockey Steve Cauthen[7][8]
 - Olympic Gold Medal winner Stacy Dragila[7]
 - NASCAR Champion Ned Jarrett[3][7]
 - Archie Manning[7]
 - National Collegiate Basketball coach Pat Summitt[5]
 - Dan Reeves[3][7]
 - Original owner of the Miami Dolphins Joe Robbie[5][7]
 - All-Time leading women's professional basketball scorer Katie Smith[7]
 - Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker[3][6][7]
 - Reggie White[3][6][7]
 
References
- ^ "U.S. Presidents and 4-H". 4-H History Preservation Program. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
 - ^ Radhakrishna, Rama B.; Sinasky, Megan (December 2005). "4-H Experiences Contributing to Leadership and Personal Development of 4-H Alumni". The Journal of Extension. 43 (6). Retrieved March 28, 2012.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Famous 4-H Alumni" (PDF). North Carolina State University. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f Butler, Keira (2014). Raise: What 4-H Teaches Seven Million Kids and How Its Lessons Could Change Food and Farming Forever. Oakland, California: University of California Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-5202-7580-5. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au "National 4-H Alumni Winners". 4-H History Preservation Program. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm "4-H Club". NNDB. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep eq er es et eu ev ew ex ey ez fa fb fc fd fe ff fg fh fi fj fk fl fm fn fo fp fq fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge "4-H Distinguished Alumni". National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f Tenkotte, Paul A.; Claypool, James C. (2014). The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 367. ISBN 978-0-8131-5996-6. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c d e f Broyles, Mathew (2006). Pole Bending. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-4042-0547-5. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ Schwartz, Faith (April 24, 2018). "Navajo Nation Attorney General Receives 4-H Luminary Award". University of Arizona. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
 - ^ DUNE Author Frank Herbert on Environmentalism. He Said This in the 70's!, retrieved October 10, 2021
 - ^ "Interview with William Mensch". Stanford University. October 9, 1995. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
 - ^ a b c "Famous 4-H Alumni Join National Leaders to Celebrate Youth Impact, Emphasize STEM at 4-H Legacy Awards in D.C." PR Newswire. April 4, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ a b c "Alumni Stories". 4-H. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
 - ^ Shelton, Hugh; Levinson, Ronald; McConnell, Malcolm (2010). Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-0-3125-9905-8. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
 - ^ Naczek, Margaret (July 4, 2018). "From border town to Belmont: Bob Baffert points to family, Nogales ranch as roots to horse racing success". Cronkite News. Retrieved October 19, 2020.