UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A new scholarship supporting agricultural education in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences carries a story of a family committed to the state's farming community, even as it encourages the next generation of agricultural educators.

The Samuel M. and Joan B. Curtis 4-H and FFA Award was established by Samuel Curtis and his son, Douglas, in memory of wife and mother Joan, who suggested the scholarship. The award is intended to recognize outstanding achievements by Penn State graduate and undergraduate students majoring in agricultural and extension education who have been active in Pennsylvania 4-H and FFA in high school. The $20,000 endowment, made jointly with the family's other children, Karen and Kevin Curtis and Boyd Bailey, will support awards of $1,000 annually.

Samuel Curtis is professor emeritus of agricultural education at Penn State. After teaching agriculture in Middleburg High School in Snyder County from 1954 to 1964, he joined Penn State's department of agricultural and extension education, serving as department head from 1980 to 1990. He has published several books and more than 100 journal articles and is a member of numerous professional honor societies.

Curtis received the Honorary American Farmers Degree from the National FFA in 1988 and the Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Farm Cooperatives in 1990. He was northeast regional director for Penn State Extension from 1990 until he suffered a stroke in 1995. His wife, Joan, was a regional director and trainer for the American Cancer Society until her retirement in 1994; she died of cancer in December 2004.

"We wanted to share some of the good things of the college with those who need it," says Curtis. "It was my wife's idea to benefit FFA and 4-H. We want to encourage students to get their master's degrees and doctorates - there's a shortage of people going on for advanced degrees in agricultural and extension education."

Douglas confirms that the idea of financially supporting members of the two youth-development agencies originated with both of his parents, as they looked to give back to an agricultural community that had given them so much.

"My father grew up on a farm, went to Penn State, then got into agricultural and extension education and went on to become a very big part of Pennsylvania's extension system," says Curtis, a 1991 Penn State graduate in animal sciences. "We'd had a lot of very good experiences with extension and they wanted to continue to encourage students in the state to get involved in agricultural education.

"Now it's a tribute to both of my parents: Mother aided Dad in support of extension education, and I see this as recognition of the many years of dedication that my parents put into the state's extension education community."

Michael Martin, associate director of development for Pennsylvania 4-H, says he's personally committed to helping Curtis establish the memorial scholarship.

"I'm particularly proud to see this endowment created, because Sam Curtis hired me to Penn State when he was a regional director," Martin says. "He mentored me as a county extension director in Luzerne County, a position he held until he resigned due to his stroke."

Martin says he also appreciates the Curtis' commitment to generate more private-sector support for 4-H through scholarships and endowments.

"Public dollars in the form of federal and state support continue to erode, so we can't be totally dependent on public money to provide the strong 4-H programming that we've always had," he says. "Sam and Joan took the opportunity to create an award specifically to help young people with their education in the hope that they will also enter extension or teaching fields."

Potential donors seeking information on endowments and scholarships for Pennsylvania 4-H can contact Martin at 814-863-2754. EDITORS: Contact Michael Martin at 814-863-2754 or by e-mail at mmartin@psu.edu.

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Writer/Editor: Gary AbdullahOffice 814-863-2708