PROGRAM GUIDE

1

contribution has made a major impact on the Introduction condition of community, state or a larger area of the Thank you for your interest in the Lever Hall of country and the Extension Organization has benefited Fame Award. This guide is written for you. It long term from the leader’s sustained efforts. answers many of the questions you may have, such as: Who Can Make • What is it? • Who is eligible for induction? Nominations? • Who can make nominations? Any member of the community may nominate • What is the selection process? persons for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Nomination forms must be submitted to the

Committee by March 15. If you have any questions after reviewing this guide, feel free to contact Lever Hall of Fame What is the Selection Program staff or visit: Process? www.clemson.edu/extension/100 for more information. With the support of Extension staff appointed by the Extension Director, the Hall of Fame Selection Blake Lanford Committee will evaluate the entire list of nominees 1949 Industrial Park Road each year during its annual Selection Committee Conway, SC 29526 meeting. All nominations remain on file and in [email protected] consideration for future induction in perpetuity.

The Committee is a representative group of What is the A. Frank Extension leaders, advisors and former award Lever Hall of Fame? recipients who volunteer their time and knowledge to help select and induct nominees to the Lever Hall of

Fame. The A. Frank Lever Extension Agent Hall of Fame

(hereinafter referred to as the Lever Hall of Fame) All nominees will be evaluated using the points based recognizes former Clemson Extension Agents for system applied to each evaluation factor as shown superior contributions and outstanding leadership in below and in the approved nomination packet. promoting the Extension Mission in their home community and throughout the state of South Nominee Evaluation Factors Carolina. Persons selected for recognition will be honored and formally inducted into the Lever Hall of Factor 1: Major Extension Service contributions Fame at an annual ceremony conducted in the fall of any given year. Factor 2: Professional accomplishments

Who is Eligible for Factor 3: Leadership within Cooperative Extension organization and programs Induction? Factor 4: Leadership involvement in professional Former Extension Agents who have exemplary associations records of accomplishment in leading Cooperative Extension programs and sustained successful Factor 5: Honors, awards, and recognition received leadership within the organization at various levels will receive priority consideration for induction into Factor 6: Service to community and in region of the Hall of Fame. influence

Former Extension Agents may be considered for Factor 7: Leadership in related organizations induction into the Hall of Fame when their

2

Asbury Francis “Frank” Lever

“If this information were made available to the farmer, it would form ‘a complete and absolute revolution in the social, economic and financial condition of our rural population.”

Asbury Francis Lever was born near Springhill, Lexington County, on January 5, 1875. He was the son of a farmer, Asbury Francis Washington Lever, and Mary Elvira Derrick. He attended the county schools and graduated from Newberry College with honors in 1895. He taught school for two years.

He moved to Washington, D.C. as the private secretary to South Carolina Representative J. William Stokes from 1897 to 1901. Lever graduated from the Law Department of , Washington, D.C., in 1899 and was admitted to the bar in South Carolina the same year. He married Lucile Scurry Butler of Lexington in July 5, 1911.

Unlike most congressional secretaries, when Mr. Lever received an agricultural inquiry from a constituent he did not attach a reference slip and send it to the department of agriculture, but rather he made inquiry who in the department was best informed on the particular subject and paid a personal visit to the specialist. During this visit, he not only asked about the questions sent in, but many others of his own. If the subject was one in which he was particularly interested, he often came back a few days later with a lot of new questions. In that way, Mr. Lever acquired a great deal of knowledge on agricultural subjects and a wide acquaintance among the department's personnel.

He was a delegate to the Democratic State conventions in 1896 and 1900. Upon the death of Representative Stokes, Lever was elected to fill that vacancy and became a member of the US House of Representatives in 1901. Elected as a Democratic Congressman at 27 years of age, Lever was reelected to the eight succeeding Congresses and served from November 5, 1901, until August 1, 1919.

Despite his young age, Lever was named chairman of the House Committee Agriculture. His major legislative achievements were in the area of state and federal efforts in agricultural and rural life. He was the author of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 that established the Cooperative Extension Service. He also insured passage of the Cotton Futures Act of 1914, the Cotton Warehouse Act of 1916, and Federal Farm Loan Act of 1916 that created the Farm Credit Administration, and the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 that created a Food Administration and a Fuel Administration for World War I.

He was poised to run for the US Senate in 1918, but shortly before he filed to run, President Wilson asked him to remain in the House because of his leadership. However, others had already filed for his House seat, and not wanting to upset the party, he resigned from Congress. Wilson appointed him a member of the Federal Farm Loan Board, in which capacity he served until 1922. He briefly ran for the Democratic nomination for Governor of South Carolina in 1930, but sickness ended his campaign.

He chaired the Newberry College Board of Trustees and was a Life Trustee of Clemson College from 1913 to 1940. He was elected president of the First Carolinas Joint Stock Land Bank at Columbia, South Carolina, in 1922 and was a field representative of Federal Farm Board. He was a director of the public relations administration of the Farm Credit Administration until his death. In 1939, Congressman Lever attended the dedication ceremony of the Seaman Knapp Memorial arch at the USDA Building, and was also honored to receive the Distinguished Service Ruby award from Epsilon Sigma Phi, the National Honorary Fraternity. Lever was also active in the Tuberculosis Society (Lever was stricken with the disease and wanted to help eradicate it); and the Finnish Relief Fund of 1940. Lever started an extensive research project on Dr. Seaman A. Knapp intending to write a biography, however he died on April 28, 1940 before its completion. He is interred at College Hill Cemetery, located on campus of Clemson Agricultural College in South Carolina.

References: Warburton, C.W. “Asbury Francis Lever: A tribute.” USDA, 1940. https://dspace.ychistory.org/bitstream/handle/11030/70058/00000786.pdf?sequence=1 Registry of the Asbury Frank Lever Papers, 1895-1986. , SC. , 1988. http://media.clemson.edu/library/special_collections/findingaids/Mss/Mss0095ra.pdf Prepared for the Florida Cooperative Extension Service Centennial, 2014 Clemson Cooperative Extension Service. (n.d.). Asbury Francis Lever | 1875-1940. Retrieved May 6, 2016, from http://www.clemson.edu/extension/100/asbury_francis_lever.h

3

Nomination Procedures A. Frank Lever County Extension Agent Hall of Fame

NOMINATION PROCEDURES

1. Nominations must be made using the approved format provided with these procedures. 2. Nominations must address each of the eight evaluation factors listed. 3. Nominations must be postmarked no later than March 15 to be eligible for consideration in that same year. 4. Nominations must be sent to the address listed below:

Attn: Blake Lanford Clemson Cooperative Extension 1949 Industrial Park Rd. Conway, SC 29526 [email protected]

5. Supporting materials, if any, offered as part of the nomination packet should be limited to items that connect specifically to one or more of the eight evaluation factors listed.

EVALUATION OF NOMINEES

The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will evaluate the entire list of nominees each year during its annual Selection Committee meeting. All nominations remain on file and in consideration for future induction in perpetuity.

All nominees will be evaluated using the evaluation factor shown below and in the approved nomination packet

Evaluation Factors

Factor 1: Major Extension Service contributions

Factor 2: Professional accomplishments

Factor 3: Leadership within Cooperative Extension organization and programs

Factor 4: Leadership involvement in professional associations

Factor 5: Honors, awards, and recognition received

Factor 6: Service to community and in region of influence

Factor 7: Leadership in related organizations

4

Nomination Form A. Frank Lever Extension Agent Hall of Fame

Name of Nominee:

Name of Nominator:

Nominator’s Email: Phone:

Title, location and dates of Service for Clemson University:

FACTOR 1: Major Extension Service contributions:

FACTOR 2: Professional accomplishments:

5

FACTOR 3: Leadership within Cooperative Extension organization and programs:

FACTOR 4: Leadership involvement in professional associations:

FACTOR 5: Honors, awards and recognition received:

6

FACTOR 6: Service to the community within the region of service:

FACTOR 7: Leadership in related organizations:

7