Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID |
500.11.02 |
Title |
J.C. Penney Hall at the National 4-H Center |
Object Name |
Brochure |
Date |
unknown |
Creator |
National 4-H Council |
Description |
This brochure provides information on J.C. Penney Hall which serves as the main administration building for the National 4-H Center. A mural pained by Dean Fausett whihc can be found in the lobby of the building is discussed, and James Cash Penney stands in the middle of the mural reflecting his support of 4-H. The brochure reads: J.C. Penney Hall J.C. Penney Hall, with its graceful Ionic pillars, serves as the main administration building for the National 4-H Center. In the spacious lobby, a mural depicting the growth and change of 4-H dominates the north wall. Prominent in the mural is James Cash Penney, founder of the company that bears his name. He stands with a youth and his blue ribboned dairy heifer, reflecting Mr. Penney's benevolent support of 4-H and the 4-H tradition of recognizing excellence. Painted by the eminent muralist, Dean Fausett, in the American genre, the mural captures the evolution of 4-H and the J.C. Penney Company in this century. The left portion of the mural shows boys and girls at work in corn growing and tomato canning clubs. These clubs, that sprang up in rural America at the turn of the century, were the forerunners of 4-H. Toward the center the muralist has caught the changing scene of 4-H as the program diversified and expanded to serve the needs of youth in urban as well as rural America and around the world. The right hand portion of the mural features many of the projects and activities that typify contemporary 4-H. The background of the mural depicts Penney's first store, opened in Kemmerer, Wyoming in 1902, called the Golden Rule because of his conviction that it is possible to combine a high order of ethics with economics. He never wavered from that principle as he worked to expand his company. The skyscraper headquarters of the J.C. Penney Company, one of the major retail enterprises in the nation, shown at the right of the mural, stands as testimony that James Cash Penney was right in his conviction. A legend in his own lifetime, James Cash Penney was born on a small farm near Hamilton, Missouri. Mr. Penney supported 4-H for the last 45 years of his life. He took an active role in the expansion of the National 4-H Center, serving as honorary cochairman of a national 4-H advisory council. Since his death in 1971, his wife, Caroline A. Penney, and the J.C. Penney Company have continued interest in and support of 4-H. The family and company contributed generously to the expansion of the National 4-H Center, including J.C. Penney Hall, completed and dedicated in 1977. J.C. Penney Company also supports volunteer leader training and other 4-H activities. Just off the lobby of J.C. Penney Hall, a small chapel, a gift of Mrs. Penney, serves as a quiet space for meditation and reflection. At the front of the chapel, a stained glass window, a rhythmic play of abstract forms in subtle tones of blue and red, filters the afternoon sunlight onto the simple wooden altar. Another point of interest in J.C. Penney Hall is the Kenneth H. Anderson Reference Gallery that contains historical photographs and other memorabilia of 4-H and of James Cash Penney's lifelong interest in youth, agriculture and rural America. At the south end of the building, the William Sutton Room serves as a small conference room. The Beatrice Assembly Hall, the largest meeting space on campus, occupies the lower level of J.C. Penney Hall. The offices of National 4-H Council are on the second and third floors. Wings at the rear of J.C. Penney Hall house two major conference rooms-the Ohio Room and the Missouri Room-and the Minnesota Room, a recreation facility. Additionally, these wings offer dormitory style housing for 250 people. The wings open onto Danforth Court where two bronze statues symbolize the strength and vigor of youth. National 4-H Council is a not-for-profit educational organization that uses private resources to help expand and strengthen the 4-H program. 4-H is the youth education program of the Cooperative Extension Service of the state land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. National 4-H Council owns and operates National 4-H Center, an educational training center located just outside Washington, B.C. The Center offers an attractive setting with facilities to meet the confer-ence and meeting needs of both small and large groups. The Center operates year-round, serving the needs of 4-H and related groups. It offers resources and services that are both efficient and economical. Special Features *overnight accommodations for 650 people *30 conference rooms *dining and banquet facilities *free parking *free use of audio-visual equipment *easy access to major airports *transportation coordination assistance *lovely campus setting in quiet, secure neighborhood Programs and educational materials of National 4-H Council are available to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin or handicap. Council is an equal opportunity employer. 7100 Connecticut Avenue Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815 (301) 656-9000 Donated by Julie Thomas in 2011 as part of the Julie Rude Thomas Collection of Chevy Chase History |