The iconic blue corduroy jacket worn by FFA members across the country has become one of the most recognizable symbols in American agriculture. But the tradition began nearly a century ago with a group of Ohio FFA members who arrived at the national convention wearing something different.
The First FFA National Convention
The first National FFA Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1928. Kansas City would go on to host the annual FFA convention for the next 70 years, becoming an important gathering place for generations of agricultural education students and FFA members.
The convention provided an opportunity for FFA members from across the country to meet, share ideas and celebrate agricultural education. It also became the setting for one of the organization’s most enduring traditions.
Ohio FFA Members Introduce the Blue Jacket
In 1933, a group of FFA members from Fredericktown, Ohio, arrived at the national convention wearing crisp blue corduroy jackets. The jackets featured the FFA emblem prominently on the back, creating a distinctive and unified appearance for the Ohio students.
The look quickly attracted attention.
As Mark Oppold explains in this American Agriculture History Minute, the young FFA members at the convention recognized that the jackets were something special. Their appearance helped inspire official delegates at the 1933 convention to adopt the blue corduroy jacket as the organization’s official dress.
What began as the attire of a group of Ohio FFA members would become a lasting national tradition.
A Jacket That Became a Symbol of FFA
The blue FFA jacket has remained an important part of FFA identity for generations. Today, members continue to proudly wear the recognizable blue corduroy jacket at conventions, leadership events, competitions and other official FFA activities.
The jacket represents much more than an article of clothing. For generations of agricultural students, it has come to symbolize leadership, service, agricultural education and membership in a nationwide organization.
The tradition also continues on a significant scale. An estimated more than 50,000 new FFA jackets are made each year, ensuring that new generations of FFA members can take part in a tradition that dates back to 1933.
From a group of teenagers from Fredericktown, Ohio, to FFA members throughout the United States, the blue jacket has become an enduring part of American agricultural history.
Listen to More American Agriculture History
The story of the FFA jacket is one example of how seemingly simple moments can become lasting traditions in American agriculture. To hear more stories like this, listen to Mark Oppold’s American Agriculture History Minute.