Chapter History
Getting Started
The Boone Agricultural and Mechanical FFA Chapter was chartered on January 27, 1997. The Agricultural Education program and FFA chapter got its roots as a branch of the United FFA Chapter located at United Community School in rural Boone county. The United Community School agriculture instructor was Mr. Jon Davis. When the United High School was closed in 1992, students began attending Boone High School and thus the need for an FFA chapter developed. Davis taught agriculture courses for students from Boone, Ogden, and Gilbert from 1992 - 1996. In the fall of 1996, Boone High School began a full time agriculture education program and Mr. Doug Dodd was the agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. The Boone High School Agriculture Education program organized an FFA chapter and was granted its official charter at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in the spring of 1997 as the Boone Agricultural and Mechanical FFA Chapter (Boone A&M).
Since that time, the Boone A&M FFA Chapter was continued to grow and expand to become one of the top FFA chapters in the state. Currently, the Boone A&M FFA Chapter consists of students from Boone High School. In the past, it has also had sharing agreements for students from Ogden High School from the 1990's - 2019 and Woodward-Granger for a period of time in the 2000's. Both schools have since chartered their own FFA Chapters. Original Boone Chapter (1929 - 1931) The FFA history for Boone High School actually has another entire "chapter." In 1927, Boone High School hired a vocational agriculture instructor and started an "Agriculture Club." Burton T. Tillotson was the teacher and FFA Advisor. After Iowa FFA Association was chartered in 1929, Boone was the 12th school in Iowa to charter a FFA Chapter. The Boone Chapter of the Future Farmers of America was chartered on November 15, 1929 and continued through 1931. Rechartered Boone Chapter (1954 - 1958) In 1953, Boone High School hired Mr. Merle Hove to serve as the vocational agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor. The Ag Program rechartered the Boone Chapter with Iowa FFA Association on January 11, 1954. The Chapter continued through 1958. Daryl Murken of Boone was elected as the State FFA President for 1957-1958. United Community Chapter at Boone (1956 - 1992) In 1956, United Community High School located east of Boone was formed and chartered their FFA Chapter on January 16, 1956. Earl Carpenter was the vocational agriculture instructor and FFA Advisor. When United High School closed and began whole grade sharing with neighboring districts, the FFA Chapter ended in 1992. United Chapter (1992 - 1996) A "new" FFA Chapter was formed under the direction of Mr. Jon Davis in 1992 who was the ag teacher and FFA advisor in a shared position between Boone and Gilbert. This continued until the fall of 1996 when Boone and Gilbert each started a full time ag program and chartered their own respective FFA Chapters. The chapter is currently working to document the rich history of FFA in Boone county. If you have any information or history you would like to share, please contact the Boone A&M FFA Chapter. 
From the 1931 Boone High School Scroll yearbook, the Boone Chapter of the Future Farmers of America is featured.
From the 1954 Boone High School Scroll yearbook, the FFA Chapter had returned to the school.
1955 Boone High School Scroll yearbook on FFA.
1956 Boone High School Scroll yearbook page on FFA.
1958 Boone High School Scroll yearbook page on FFA.
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History Archive Photos
Mr. Burton Tillotson served as the first FFA Advisor from 1929-1931
Donald Bass was the first FFA member to receive the Iowa FFA Degree from Boone.
Mr. Merle Hove was the FFA Advisor from 1954-1958.
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