A. B. Graham: County Schoolmaster and Extension Pioneer
by Virginia E. and Robert W. McCormick
 Reviewed by Vicki Carver

2003 has been a year of celebration in Ohio commemorating our 200 years of statehood. Our state has a proud heritage in many fields of endeavor. One area which has a rich history worth reading about is the development of our system of education.

One person who had a phenomenal influence in Ohio’s educational system is Albert B. Graham who lived from 1868-1960. There is a book which was published in 1984 by Virginia E. and Robert W. McCormick which is titled A. B. Graham: County Schoolmaster and Extension Pioneer.

Graham was born in a small town called Lena which was located between Urbana and Piqua. His humble family lived in a small rural home and Graham attended a one-room school. Tragedy struck in 1879 when the Graham home burned to the ground. Graham’s father died as a result of the fire.

Responsibility to help support a family forced young Graham to be resourceful and use his time wisely. However, education was always a high priority for him. He graduated from high school at the age of 17 and started as a teacher the following fall.

Graham continued in his quest for an education and completed a degree at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. He eventually became a school principal and later an innovative superintendent. He valued the importance of agriculture in his students’ lives and started programs to enrich their lives. He also believed in libraries for children’s’ use and attractive school buildings which included art on the walls and flowers outside. Because of Graham’s work in integrating agriculture into his student’s lives, Graham is considered to be the impetus for the development of the 4H program, not just in Ohio but across the country.

Graham was a tireless worker who worked in developing an extension program at Ohio State and spent 22 years in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. He never lost his love of children and sewed a red dress for his 9-year-old granddaughter when he was 84 years old.

A. B. Graham is written in a very factually-oriented manner and reads somewhat like a textbook but includes many interesting pictures. It is a wonderful reading experience in understanding more about the life of a great man from our great state.