Home Demonstration Clubs in the United States began in 1862 with the Morrill Act, also called “An Act Donating Public Lands to Several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.” This law provided 30,000 acres of Federal land to each state and a territory with a Congressional delegation. The money from the sale of this land was then used to found colleges that concentrated on agriculture and mechanical education.
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 augmented the Morrill Act and expanded the original idea of educating rural people in modern agriculture technology. The program now included funding for women, both white and black, and children’s groups.
The first Home Demonstration Club in Arkansas began in Mabelvale, Pulaski County in March 1914. Home demonstration clubs were designed to teach modern and improved techniques in order to better living conditions for farm families. The clubs surpassed the original ideas of just helping their individual families. The women took their skills out into the community and helped with relief efforts for flooding victims, World War I food conservation, and influenza, more.
The Home Demonstration Clubs of Arkansas finding aid is available in the finding aids section of this site.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1933 September 6-8
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' first State Home Demonstration Council Camp. This scrapbook is one of two produced for 1933.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1933 September 6-8
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' first State Home Demonstration Council Camp. This scrapbook is one of two produced for 1933.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1934 September 5-7
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' second State Home Demonstration Council Camp.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1935 August 26-28
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' third State Home Demonstration Council Camp.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1936 September 1-4
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' fourth State Home Demonstration Council Camp. The first camp newspaper, "The Camp Piker," was created at this event.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1937 August 10-13
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' fifth State Home Demonstration Council Camp. The ninth annual meeting is themed "Broader Horizons."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1938 September 6-9
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs' sixth State Home Demonstration Council Camp. The tenth annual meeting is themed "Recognizing and Developing Our Rural Resources."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1921-1942
Scrapbook containing news clippings, newsletters, programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Home Economics Association.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1946 May 5-12
Scrapbook containing correspondence, event programs, news clippings, and new releases related to the celebration of National Home Demonstration Week.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1947 September-1948
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1949-1950
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs. This twenty-first annual meeting of the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs is themed "The Home, The Fountainhead of Democracy."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1950-1951
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the national and state Home Demonstration Clubs. This twenty-second annual meeting of the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs is themed "Family Responsibility in Today's World."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1952
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1953
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to twenty-fifth anniversary of the Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs in the Southwest district.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1953 August-1955 November
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs. Content is organized by county.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1955-1956
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs. The twenty-seventh annual meeting is themed "Spotlight on the Home-Destination-A Better Tomorrow."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1956-1957
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the national and state Council of Home Demonstration Clubs. The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs is themed "Stepping Stones to Happy Family Living."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1958-1959
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the international, national, and state Home Demonstration Clubs.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1961-1962
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the national and state Home Demonstration Clubs. The thirty-third annual meeting of the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs is themed "New Frontiers in Homemaking."
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1962-1963
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the national and state Home Demonstration Clubs.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1963
Scrapbook containing news clippings, programs, and photographs related to the twenty-seventh annual National Home Demonstration Council meeting.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1964
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the Arkansas Council of Home Demonstration Clubs and its fifty anniversary celebration.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1964-1965
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, ephemera, and photographs related to the national and state Home Demonstration Clubs.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1966 May 1-7
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to Arkansas Extension Homemakers Week.
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Arkansas Home Demonstration Clubs scrapbook, 1965-1966
Scrapbook containing news clippings, event programs, and photographs related to the national and state Extension Homemakers Clubs.
