HR0208 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0208 LRB095 11593 KXB 33416 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The distinguished agricultural leader, Earl Clemmons Smith, was born in Pike County on February 19, 1881 and began farming his grandmother Clemmons' land in Detroit Township in 1907; and

WHEREAS, Earl Smith became active in the national Farm Bureau movement as farmers began to organize to strengthen their political clout, and he was a charter member and President of the Pike County Farm Bureau; and

WHEREAS, Earl Smith was elected President of the Illinois Farm Bureau in 1926 where he served through 1945; and he served as Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation from 1936 to 1945; and

WHEREAS, Earl Smith was active in the fight for "parity for agriculture," a goal that sought government action to help farmers achieve income levels comparable to those earned from 1910-1914, a time of profitability for farmers; his work was reflected in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first and second Agricultural Adjustment Acts; and

WHEREAS, Under Earl Smith's leadership, the Illinois Farm Bureau established businesses to help serve farmers such as GROWMARK, Inc., and the FS Member Companies, Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., and Country Insurance and Financial Services; these are among the largest and most successful businesses in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, In retirement, Earl Smith continued to farm in Pike County where he died on June 30, 1961; and

WHEREAS, Earl Clemmons Smith was a clear voice and a steady leader for agriculture, a pioneer who advanced the philosophy that farmers need to take action to protect their futures and cooperate with others to achieve success; and

WHEREAS, The Pike County Farm Bureau, the Illinois Farm Bureau, and the Illinois State Historical Society will dedicate a historical marker to recognize the contributions of Earl C. Smith on March 23, 2007 at Detroit, Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we proclaim March 23, 2007 as Earl C. Smith Day, recognizing his significant contributions to agriculture in the State of Illinois and the nation.