Lynn & Marjorie Brown: Promoting and Supporting 4-H for a Lifetime

By Nancy Wilhelm, Program Coordinator, 4-H Youth Development

 

Marjorie and Lynn Brown have spent a lifetime promoting and supporting UConn Extension and the 4-H Program. Both grew up on farms in Iowa where they were 4-H members – Marjorie participated in home economics and poultry projects and Lynn in the dairy cattle project area. Their 4-H participation provided some exciting opportunities.   Lynn attended National 4-H Dairy Conference while Marjorie attended State 4-H Conservation Camp. It was not until their college years that they met at a Rural Young People’s dance in the late 1940’s. They have been together ever since, contributing countless hours of support to 4-H youth across Connecticut

After graduating from college with a degree in Agricultural Education, Lynn got a job teaching agriculture to veterans coming back from World War II. Six months later he was drafted into the army and served two years in the Korean War. Marjorie was a 4-H member until age 21. She attended Iowa State University as a Home Economics major and obtained her master’s degree in Home Management and Family Economics and worked for a short while for Iowa Extension. They were married on March 22, 1953.

Obtaining his doctorate in dairy nutrition, Lynn was hired as the University of Connecticut Extension Dairy Specialist in the 1960s, bringing the Brown’s to Connecticut. He has had an impact on hundreds of 4-H dairy project members, providing programs, training dairy judging teams, introducing and working with quiz bowl teams, promoting, selecting and chaperoning 4-Hers to the National 4-H Dairy Conference and coordinating the entire Connecticut 4-H Dairy Program at Eastern States Exposition where he served as Chairperson for the New England 4-H Dairy Show for over 25 years.

“Dr. Brown has always had so much patience. When I was on the CT 4-H Dairy Judging team, there were five teenage girls and Dr. Brown. His lessons on evaluating cows and giving oral reasons still help me as I work with 4-Hers. I remember driving to the national contest in Columbus Ohio in an old Plymouth Valiant stopping at farms and dairy judging along the way. Every morning he would set our departure time early since he had to maneuver our suitcases and pack them in the same very precise manner just to get our luggage to fit in the trunk. He taught us very important life skills, how to remember and visualize classes of cows and how to pack a trunk. I still use both today!” Bonnie Burr, UConn Extension Department Head

Lynn’s involvement didn’t stop with his retirement from UConn in 1994. He has served as Chair of the Tolland County Extension Council. He has been a member of the 4-H Farm Board of Directors for many years, actively working with the Farm Committee to oversee farm operations. He continues to serve as Chair of Farm City Day, and has essentially spent his entire life promoting and supporting agriculture, the dairy industry and 4-H youth.

Marjorie has been a 4-H leader in Tolland County for over 40 years, teaching family and consumer science project skills to countless youth. She has been a strong supporter of the consumer education project of wardrobe planning and worked on a State 4-H Fashion Revue Committee that developed the Smart Shopper Project. She has served as a volunteer judge, coordinator of fashion revue events and served on the planning committee for the 1983 Northeast Regional 4-H Volunteer Forum when it was hosted by Connecticut. Along with her work in 4-H, she has served as treasurer of the Tolland County Extension Council, served on the Tolland County 4-H Advisory Committee and on the Tolland County Agricultural Board of Directors. An excellent seamstress, at 84, she still invites youth and some former 4-H members to her home to sew.

“Marge took every opportunity to promote life skills with 4-Hers. Among other projects and activities, she developed a life skills quiz bowl that was held at the Tolland County 4-H Fair for many years. She believed that both boys and girls needed to know how to understand the needs of younger children, sew, select their clothes, and to prepare healthy foods. Her work was invaluable to both the Tolland County Extension Program as well as to statewide Extension programs.” Rosemarie Syme, Retired 4-H Extension Educator

When asked about the importance of 4-H and the impact it has on youth, both Lynn and Marjorie agree that it gives youth the chance to learn some important life skills like leadership development, public speaking, and also receive recognition for a job well done.

And for so many years, the Brown’s have played an important role in providing those life skills to youth across Connecticut.   Thank you Lynn and Marjorie for a job well done.