From his home base in Dawson County, Harold Stevens literally reached out to the world, leading 4-H Heritage, People-to-People and other agricultural tour groups to destinations across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific. Harold also spearheaded passage of a 1983 Unicameral bill that recognized ground-water recharge provided by surface-water irrigators as an appropriate element in the allocation of water rights.
So much has been said and written by so many persons about the positive influence of Harold Stevens on their lives. Because of that, it is very difficult in a few moments and in a few selected examples to try to characterize the nature of his impact. But I want Harold to know that I did take the assignment very seriously.
In the past couple of weeks, I have talked to many persons who have worked with Harold. These include some fellow extension agents and faculty colleagues in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources; former Dawson County 4-H members, who are now found in a wide vary of successful careers; Farmers and Ranchers in Dawson County; agricultural leaders in Nebraska; and even a former pastor of yours, Harold. As I visited with these people, I asked them, what it was that made Harold Stevens so effective and so successful, and how they would characterize his major contributions.
As I reviewed the notes from those conversations and realized the time limitation for this event, it became impossible to include all of this input. To organize this information, I took some clues from my friends in the media and decided to structure it around three questions. The first question was "What?"; the second question was "So what?" and third question was "How?" The question, "What?", represents the documented record of the contributions and achievements that we associated with Harold and his career. You have in your program a good summary of these very same points so I will not dwell on them.
You know, of course, that Harold was born in Nebraska and was reared on a farm near Grant. He was a 4-H Club member, was very active and was recognized for his leadership in 4-H and FFA activities. He farmed for three years after graduation from high school, then attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska in the fields of Vocational Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, and taught Vocational Agriculture in Sargent, Nebraska for two years. That's a quick summary of his career before he came to Dawson County. From July 1, 1945 to the present he has served as the County Extension Agent and Extension Agent Chair of Dawson County – now 39 plus-years in that role. I would be interested in seeing how many in the audience tonight are from Dawson County? Could you raise your hands? (applause) I think that says a great deal about the impact of Harold Stevens.
Also under the questions "What?" I want to comment on the kinds of contributions and accomplishments during this long career in Dawson County. These are obviously selected examples. First of all, 4-H enrollment in Dawson County has increased from 421 in 1945 to between 1200-1400 over the last 30 years. Dawson County 4-H Livestock Judging Teams have represented the State of Nebraska in some 29 National 4-H judging contests. Eight Dawson County 4-H Heritage tours have involved nearly 400 Dawson County 4-H'ers in travel to visit historic sites, including the seat of government in Washington, D.C. and to learn about this country of which they are a citizen. Eight People-To-People international tours have been organized and directed by Harold (five for 4-H youths, and three for adults). Numerous educational tours dealing with livestock, crops, water and irrigation, and 4-H programs have been brough to a state of refinement in terms of organization and effectiveness by Harold.
He has played a major leadership role in the establishment of many agricultural organizations, including the state-wide organization Ag Builders of Nebraska, and numerous county commodity, natural resources and 4-H organizations and groups. He has given leadership in educational and organizational efforts which have led to important legislation, including the Soil Testing Bill in 1969 and, very recently, in 1983, a major bill which recognizes the benefits of surface water projects for groundwater recharge as a statewide policy.
He has taken the initiative in education and demonstration programs to solve specific agricultural problems. The example given in your program is that of Goss's Wilt in corn; others include development of a wide-area spray program; the attention to various problems in alfalfa dealing with both insect and plant diseases; livestock disease control; irrigation efficiency; rangeland improvement; and many, many, other problem areas. Very recently he was involved in the development of the "Living Snow Fence" tree planting program in Dawson County. And during the time he has served in this role, the planning and construction of the 4-H area and new extension office in Dawson County also took place. Harold has been a visible spokesperson for Agriculture and for Dawson County during this period, including twice weekly radio programs on KRVN, and weekly news releases to some 47 newspapers, radio and TV stations. That's enough for the question "What?" to illustrate the kinds of things Harold has done.
Question 2: "So what?" What are the impacts of Harold Stevens' impressive achievements? I will identify three areas. The first of these is various economic impacts resulting from the solving of many specific agricultural production problems and improving the production efficiency of farmer and ranchers of Dawson County. The example given in the program, the elimination of Goss's wilt-susceptible varieties by seed companies was a decision based on Dawson County variety trials instigated by Harold, and save area farmers .pa millions of dollars in potential yield losses. We can go on and identify similar examples in many other areas.
The second area of impact that I would note is natural resources, specifically improvement and awareness of conservation practices related to water, soil, and rangeland. But, most importantly, in my opinion, is his impact on the development of human resources and on leadership for both youth and adults. Former judging team members credit their experience as teaching them to make and defend their decisions. Former tour participants speak of increased knowledge and understanding our heritage, our government, and international affairs. Many persons speak of Harold's encouragement – some used different words, such as nudging or prodding – which to get involved, to participate and to lead.
These impacts have not gone unnoticed, as indicated by the many honors and awards which have come to Harold, including; the AK-SAR-BEN Agricultural Achievement Award in 1960; USDA Superior Service Award in 1970; Outstanding Nebraska Agricultural Agent Award in 1970; Nebraska Block and Bridle Animal Science Hall of Fame Honoree in 1975; Farm House Fraternity "Master Builder of Men Award" in 1976; the designation of Dawson County 4-H arena as the STEVENS ARENA by the Dawson County Agricultural Society in 1983; Nebraska Extension Agent Distinguished Service Award in 1983. In that same vein, many letters have been received recognizing Harold on this occasion; it was his choice that we not take the time to read all of those, but he will have enjoyment from them. But, one of them that he doesn't know about came by special delivery. I would like to share it with you.
"Mr. Harold Stevens: It is my understanding that you are to be selected as the 1984 honoree of the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Please accept my personal congratulations for this honor. Your outstanding contributions have already earned you much recognition, including the Department of Agriculture's Superior Service Award. Now will have another well deserved honor to add to your record of excellence. It gives me a tremendous sense of pride as the Secretary of Agriculture when I learn of a USDA employee who is recognized and honored by those he serves. Your 39 years of service with distinction to the people of Dawson County is a tribute to your commitment to agriculture. I know you will make a truly outstanding addition to the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Sincerely, John R. Block, Secretary of Agriculture". (Applause)
I was really impressed when I saw this because of its attractive cover and its label as "Executive Correspondence." I know it is the real thing!
My final question is "How?" What makes Harold Stevens so successful and so effective? I obtained many insightful responses to this question. It was pointed out by many that he is a master at identifying local needs and local problems. I was told that as "he has his ear to the ground." "He knows the needs, the problems, the opportunities of his region and of the people of his area." "He asks questions." Perhaps the famous philosopher Yogi Berra, the baseball coach, who said "You can observe a lot just by watching," adequately characterizes Harold's role.
Secondly, he knows people, he knows who they are, where they are, and what they can do. It was also pointed out by one of his colleagues that, yes, a great deal has been accomplished in Dawson County during these years, but it would be impossible for one person to do all of it. An important secret to his success is that he has surrounded himself with good people, which is a tribute to all of his colleagues who are here and others who have worked with him over the years.
Thirdly, he involves people. He knows how to delegate and how to get people interested and involved. He gives persons an assignment, defines expectations for the task, and turns them loose. Very importantly, he recognizes and thanks them afterwards. Many in this room, I am sure, have received a "Thank-U-Gram" from Harold for having appeared on a program in his county, along with a newspaper clipping of the event to let them know that their efforts were appreciated.
He brings people together to focus on a need or a problem, and lets them know they're needed, and that they need to work together. In this way he, characterizes his role as that of a catalyst or facilitator, to help in the identification of the problem, get the right people to work on it and then allow them to proceed with it – under his watchful eye of course.
One characteristic that always comes to mind when people talk about Harold Stevens is his organizational ability. He is a tireless organizer; he plans every detail and contingency; and then follows through. As one person phrased it, "He plans his work, and then works his plan." But it is also pointed out that he organizes not just because he likes to organize, but to get a job done; it's for a purpose.
One person suggested that I refer to his "little black book" of information, with the suggestion that he would be lost without it. If you need to know anything about Dawson County, he probably has the information in his pocket.
Another person expressed some frustration at going in his office and finding that his desk top was always clean, and wondering how he did that and why they couldn't.
Others note his very high standards of expectations for himself and for others. Certainly resource persons who are involved in programs in Dawson County are well advised to prepare and to deliver a quality performance in that program. These high stands also allow him to serve as a counselor and constructive critic. I think many of us in the room, particularly those of us in administrative roles, have benefited from some of his effective criticism; and Harold, it is constructive, and it is respected.
Other characteristics were cited, such as enthusiasm for his work; honesty and integrity; never having to wonder what's on his mind; and unselfish commitment to share his time, talents and his financial resources in support of important programs and causes. I cannot take the time to itemize his involvement in programs beyond his job assignment, but should note his association with various organizations and events in his community and in his church; he is a very faithful and loyal supporter to both.
A characteristic that certainly stands out is his commitment and love for youth and for working with youth, and his faith in their leadership potential. They learn many lessons from the excellent example he sets personally, and from their experiences under his watchful eye, including the lesson that long hours and hard work are highly correlated with success. They receive encouragement and support from his interest in them. When I served as Department Head in Food Science and Technology Harold's interest in young people was clearly demonstrated to me. We annually sought names of outstanding students who might be submitted as candidates for national scholarships from the Institute of Food Technologists. Over the years, Nebraska has done very well in that national competition. There are more national scholarship winners from Dawson County, Nebraska than any other county in the U.S. One of those recipients, Dean Batie, is here tonight. Harold's commitment to students prompted him to submit their names and also to inform them that their name had been submitted, and that they should consider the opportunity carefully. He was willing to take that special effort; it was not something that was necessarily a part of the job description, but he was willing to do it. Candidates for the LEAD Program from Dawson County, various individuals who have been involved 4-H Club Congress and National 4-H Conference activities. Those things just don't happen; they take encouragement and support from someone like Harold Stevens.
And, there is his commitment to Agriculture and Natural Resources in Nebraska as spoken to you be Secretary Block. He has been an active spokesman for Agriculture and Dawson County. I brought along something that is special to me; perhaps others of you have one of these, a Dawson County passport. This document certifies that Roy Arnold is entitled to all of the rights, privileges, courtesies and responsibilities enjoyed by citizens of Dawson County, Nebraska. Signed Harold Stevens, Dawson County Extension Agent. He is a spokesman for Dawson County, obviously.
And finally, I want to recognize his supportive and understanding family. His wife, Virginia, his daughter Georgia, son Jim and their families have all, over the years, been very supportive and have had to be very understanding because all of these accomplishments have not been make without strong and significant dedication of time and effort on his part. I am also aware they had an opportunity to be involved in many of those activities and events, which was very special for them.
How does one sum this all up? Perhaps the motto from 4-H, "To make the best better" describes Harold Stevens' approach to his work over these 39+ years in Dawson County. It is for this approach to his work, his positive influence on the lives of many persons in this State and the enormous impact of his achievements on Nebraska's Agriculture, that Harold Stevens is most appropriately recognized as the 1984 Honoree of the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Harold, congratulations on this appropriate recognition.
Tribute To Harold Stevens
1984 Honoree Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement
By Dr. Joe Jeffrey
Thank you, President Waldo, ladies and gentlemen, Harold, and Virginia. What an honor it is for me to be asked to share this great moment with the Stevens' family, with my family, and with all of us who really appreciate Harold Stevens out in Dawson County. I am convinced however; (laughter) now you are getting ahead of me; (more laughter) I am convinced that any of us could be sitting right there tonight if we had the staff that Harold Stevens has. (laughter and applause) For you people who don't know them, may I erupt my part just a second so that you can meet who runs the show, who does the real work at the Dawson County extension office.
I don't know why he is sitting clear over to the right, except if you ever go in that office, and there's a guy running back and forth with earmuffs on so she can't hear anything, it is the Assistant County Agent David Stenberg. David, stand up, would you please. (applause) Dave we appreciate your work.
And then we have the Home Extension Agent, Andrea Nisley, Andrea, Gosper County girl. (applause) No? You live there now though; that's alright. We will accept you, Andrea.
Harold's got without a doubt the most dedicated office help I have ever run into. There isn't a thing they don't know. They can help you at the drop of a hat. They know where Harold is. There isn't anything that the office staff does not know, And I want you to meet those people.
Of course, in the front desk, the first person you have to pass through, is Tokie Kanda (applause). And then the next desk back is Dess Kanda; would you please stand up. (applause) There's the gal. (applause) And then back where the coffee and cookies are, is Leta Kloepping. Leta would you please stand up. (applause) That is one fine staff. And I know, Harold, that if I had them at my disposal I could be there too. (laughter)
Anyway, I have some very good news for you, and I have some bad news. The bad news is you will have to tolerate me for the next 15 or 20 minutes. But the good news is that Harold is getting a cold, he has got laryngitis. (laughter) and he is next in line. He won't be there long. That's the good news.
Dr. Arnold, I don't know where you got all that stuff about him. I got the same packet, (laughter) and it came from Harold! It did! Let me tell you one thing though, I I am going to refer to you as, Paul Harvey says. "I'm going to tell you the rest of the story," what we think about Harold as our County Agent in Dawson County. I thought Harold came with the County. (laughter) You understand that my age is about the same as the time as he has been serving as County Agent out there. So, I have assumed, that he was there. He was just there. Well, little did I realize that not all counties are blessed with a Harold Stevens. They really aren't. As I have been working and showing slides throughout the country that last 10 or 15 years, I have worked with a lot of people in Harold's category. There's only one Harold Stevens. Boy, you just work with him once and you will appreciate him so much. It is so great. I thoroughly appreciate him.
I thought I would check with some of the old timers because I thought, as I said, that Harold came with the county. I ask the oldest fellow i found in Dawson County "what did Harold Stevens do when he first came to the county?" He said, "Oh, he has been here so long that his first job was parking covered wagons." (laughter) That's how long he has been out there. Speaking of covered wagons, Harold is very proud of his family tradition, and he told me once how they traveled from the East Coast west in covered wagons. I had the opportunity to look at his family pictures. Now I know why they covered the wagon. (laughter)
I don't know how many of you know that Harold calls himself "the old man." "Ah, you talked to the old man." "Yes, I'm the old man." "Talk to the old man." I didn't know how old he meant, until one day I was in his office and there was an award from the president. It is one of the few Abe Lincoln gave out. (laughter) Harold has quite a history. I guess there is a history his family tries to hush up, but I dug it up. I guess, Virginia, this might embarrass you just a little bit, but years ago two girls, beautiful girls, we're having a duel over who got Harold. They both got him. One got him in the arm, and one got him in the leg. (laughter)
When he applied for a job at Dawson County, it was required that you send a letter of recommendation from your previous employer. They got one from Harold and it was signed Larry, Moe and Curly. (laughter) They said you must say something nice about Harold Stevens. Well Harold, you don't shed! That's something really nice about you. (laughter) Well that's about as far as I can go, Harold!
If you were to ask the people in Dawson County, "what is Harold Stevens noted for?" I think, all of the multiple things that you are noted for, Harold, are the tours that you direct and give. I have been on a dozen of them and I imagine everybody in this room has been on a Harold Stevens tour. Dr. Arnold alluded to your People-to-People Tours. There've been 300 and some plus youngsters on the Heritage Tour for Youth. There will be over 400 by the time you give the one in 1985, the Adult Heritage. Paul and Dess and a few of us are going on the tour. There will be 80 of us on that one.
And the Feeders Tour. I bet he has that in his black book. How many people been on those Feeders Tours in the last 40 years? Oh thousands. It has to be thousands. There well a couple 1000 in each one, I am sure. Feeders Tours, the Goss's Wilt Tour, the Feedlot Pollution Tour, the Hose Race tour. (laughter) He disguised it though. He called it, let's see, what was that? Some big, you know some big fancy word. You know these government people with their big fancy words for horse races? We toured some feedlots in Kearney and slipped down to Grand Island and watched the horses and came back. I was in on a couple of those. The Denver Tour. I was in Denver when we toured Safeway and the Flower Shop, and those good tours. We stopped at Coors once too if I remember right. (laughter) Water Tours. We toured Colorado and Wyoming about that beautiful understanding of the North and South Platte River. Fantastic tour that Harold lined up, and of course he is so famous for his five-o-five. The clipboards, the papers, the sketch you do have now, Harold.
The Five-o-five is a fantastic tour, I think I have been on it 3 times if I remember right. You start at five, Harold doesn't mean five-o-five. He starts at five, not five-o-one. Five. And you are home at five o'clock plus or minus a minute or two. When he runs a tour you better set your Clock because he leaves at five o'clock. In preparing for these tours you must have knowledge. You must know what you are going to see. Harold had to prepare. In order to do so that you must do a lot of reading - to know what is coming. So, he took a speed-reading course, and he told me he read the whole Bible in 20 minutes. I ask him what was in it? "Oh, something about God". (laughter)
And when you go on a tour with Harold, he does a lot of talking. All he does his talk. (laughter) He is the only man I know who has worn out two pairs of lips before he was 40 years of age. (laughter) Does do a lot of talking. But if you have ever heard one of his talks you know that he puts a lot of fire in them. There are a few of us who recommend you put some more of your speeches back in the fire. Would help you a lot. (laughter)
I'll never forget the one tour, we were touring the grasslands, up in northwestern Nebraska with Harold. In kind of a tragic situation, he got bit by a rattlesnake. What a horrible sight! Watching that poor old rattlesnake lay there, twitch and die. (laughter) And you might think that Harold is mean. No! No, Harold's not mean! He is just a firm man. Believes in being firm and demands respect. I know one day when he was first a young county agent, some lady needed a scarecrow for her garden and so Harold, to make a little extra money, decided he would go out there and stand in the garden patch and keep the birds away from her garden. Not only did he scare the crows away, they went back and brought the stuff they stole the year before and they brought it back.
Harold does have the reputation of being thorough and demanding. I was in a restaurant one day when I heard the headwaiter say, "Mr. Stevens is anything alright?" (laughter)
Getting advice from Harold Stevens is like getting a kidney transplant from a bedwetter. (laughter) Every now and then, Harold says, "I want to give you a few words of advice." Those few words are now available on two long-play records and one eight-track. (laughter)
Now Harold, we have worked on that ground back there, for eleven years, I am sure you are as proud of it as we are. What a shining example that place is. Of course, our caretaker, out here in the audience is Paul Kjar. That ground is so perfect, it's clipped, it's mowed, the buildings are clean. We are so proud of that and of course Harold Stevens has to take 99 percent of the credit. He really did. He advised us. He correctly he told us what to do. He leads the youth of our Dawson County in the right direction, through guidance and encouragement.
I can remember, it wasn't too many years ago, that the county decided they were going to give Harold and Virginia some type of award, maybe a cash award. I will never forget that day, Harold. I was in Gothenburg, Nebraska on a Sunday afternoon. We were at the community building. I think, if I recall properly, they gave you a television set and something like $1500 in cash. I think that's what it was. There I sat in the audience Ann before Virginia or any of the rest of us, had a chance to say anything, Harold jumps up and says right off the bat, "my half goes to the 4-H Foundation." Can you have a better man than that? What a display of promise for our youth in Dawson County Harold Stevens was at that very moment. The Jaycee's gave him the Boss of the Year Award. That's all in that packet I received. (laughter) He has countless plaques and awards in his office; you can't believe all those awards. Yes, Harold there are a lot of people in our county who believe in you. Unfortunately, they are the same ones who believe in the Easter Bunny. (laughter)
After talking to many of the members of our board, and a lot of people in the county, they said, "We must do something for Harold, something that he can't give back, that he must take, he must keep. A lasting momentum, something above and beyond for Harold." Somebody said, "Let's put a bronze statue of Harold in the Court House." (laughter) I contacted my sculptor friend – I have a sculptor friend out in Loveland, Colorado – and I said, "Is this possible?" He said, "There's no way." He said, "You cannot make a sculptor stand with one foot on the floor and one in the mouth." (laughter)
So, it was my pleasure, along with a lot of other people in Lexington, we decided that there is something we can do to surprise Harold. We wanted to dedicate that big building in honor of Harold. What a thrill that was! But we wanted to make sure of one thing, that it was a surprise. Harold Stevens, if you don't know it by now, knows more of what's going on in Dawson County then anybody. He is the nosiest, snoopiest guy. (laughter) If you want to know what's going on, ask Harold, he will know. So I said, "We must surprise him, it must be a lasting momentum, and it must be meaningful." That is when we decided, "Let's just put a feeler out, let's name the big arena. I don't want to call it the big 4-H Riding Building Arena, let's call it the Stevens Arena." So we let that little feeler slip out and we let it just die. About six months later, Dave Steinberg said, "What did you ever do about naming that building?" I said, "It hasn't leaked out, has it?" I was so proud nobody had said a word. Of course, we threatened their life if they did. That's when I knew after about six or nine months that nobody had leaked it to Harold that he was going to get that honor.
That's when I approached the man to make the sign with the letters, "The Stevens Arena." I said, "Not only Do I want you to mix them up, you're the only man that knows what I want. I want so many S's, some A's and T, V, E, and an N." "What do you mean?" I said "That's the letters I want, three feet by two feet. But when you go to paint them black, make sure that they are all mixed up just in case Stevens walks in with a piece of something to have welded. (laughter) Mix them up! Don't have them in any order, rhyme or reason."
You Can't believe the trouble we went through to disguise it. I didn't even tell Virginia till a day or two before. We did not tell the papers, we told the radio man the day of the tour that Harold was taking. Working through Tokie and Dess, I found Harold's exact schedule. We knew it, I knew where he was going to go before he did. (laughter) He left town, we had the letters painted, the fair board met there, past members, present members, the press was there. That's when we notified people - when Harold left town.
Nine o'clock in the morning we met there. I was the official photographer. I know how John Moore feels now. I was real important. I was standing around there clicking pictures while everybody else did all the work. We got the letters up there and it looked beautiful. We were so proud. We had the office staff come down. We had everybody there, everybody but Harold. There was a tape recorder in the car because we wanted to have his first impression of what he saw for his keepsake. What a thrill that was, to have that name on that building, when Harold came driving in that evening. Well, "Why do I have to go to Lexington to come off that Interstate, I usually get off at Darr?" We had programmed that, we surprised him. Without a doubt the biggest thrill of my life was to pull one on Harold Stevens, because he undoubtedly knew that was going to happen. But I don't think he did. I think we got him.
Ironically the next morning R.B. Waren was there for the horse clinic. When I walked in there that morning, and Harold, I think it's a good thing you or I didn't look each other in the face or we would have both cried. I really think we would have. What a thrill that was and to stand beneath the Harold Stevens Arena sign. I hope it's there forever, because we need something by which to remember this tremendous man in our county.
Harold has impressed me as you might recognize. He has meant a lot to me. In fact, Harold, my mother, I talked to her this morning, and she has been having dreams about this very speech I gave this evening (laughter) – My mom says, "You always argued with Harold, you always argued with him." She says, "Now both of you can grow up just a little bit."
What impresses me about Harold Stevens is that he is a doer. You bet he is a doer. So many times I have gone by a group of people, a committee discussing why it couldn't be done. They were interrupted by Harold Stevens, who was doing it. That's the kind of guy he is. He doesn't let that kind of people get in his way, he just gets the job done.
Well, Harold, your deeds speak for you far better than anything I can say. You devoted yourself unselfishly to a host of humanitarian causes. Your activities have been so extensive, it would almost seem one lifetime could not encompass them all. You have found the time and the energy to serve, to work, and to lead, shouldering countless burdens with unfailing good humor and grace. You have set an example for all of us to live by. What a great example! I am sure, ladies and gentlemen, that if any of us should ever get to the great extension office in the sky, (laughter) the guy behind the desk will be Harold Stevens. (laughter) Harold, congratulations. (applause)
