Thomas L. Bewick

First Wisconsin State 4-H Program Leader

In Memoriam

Thomas L. Bewick was a promising young agronomy instructor at UW-Madison when he was hired as Ransom Asa Moore’s assistant in 1910. When the Smith-Lever Act established the Cooperative Extension Service in 1914, Bewick was named the first State 4-H Leader for Wisconsin.

Bewick gave 43 years to Wisconsin 4-H Youth Development, 40 as state leader and three as assistant state leader. During that time, Bewick helped start the Linn 4-H Club in Walworth County, the first 4-H club in the state.

He was a member of the national committee which chose the 4-H emblem, the motto, colors, and creed used by 4-H. “We selected the four leaf clover for good luck; the colors – white for purity, and green is nature’s most gorgeous color.”

He was an early advocate of a state 4-H camp and served on the first Camp Upham Woods committee. There is a cabin at Upham Woods dedicated in his name. He arranged for the first state 4-H club week at UW-Madison where delegates were quartered in tents on the campus.