Farmer-Stockman
Rural Neighborhood Progress Contest
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  Ferdie Deering launched the Rural Neighborhood Progress Contest as a project of The Farmer-Stockman in 1947.  Operated in co-operation with the Extension services of Oklahoma A&M College and Texas A&M College, this program developed into an influential campaign for better farming and higher standards of living in rural areas.  Hundreds of rural communities in both Texas and Oklahoma made substantial and lasting progress, encouraged and sponsored by The Farmer-Stockman through this contest, which was conducted over a period of 12 years.    
 
1948 SPEECH: Let's Be Neighbors (Several Groups in 1948)
3/26/1948 SPEECH: Midwest Conference on Rural Life and Education (Text) - Audio Recording (25 Minutes)  This speech was recorded on four 78 RPM records, so some parts are better quality than others, and there are some gaps.  If you do not want to listen to the whole speech, you should listen to the opening remarks (about 9 minutes long) that precede it to hear Ferdie's humor and his ability to get the attention of the audience.   
5/8/1951 SPEECH: Southwest Rural Leadership Conference
3/1/1952  National Rural Health Conference: Speech 1  -  Speech 2
6/30/1954 SPEECH: Texas Rural Pastors Conference
 
 

1948
Rural Neighborhood Progress
Contest Presentation
1948
Rural Neighborhood Progress
Contest Presentation
1950
Rural Community Picnic
With E. C. Martin
 
 
Awards & Recognition
1949 Texas A&M College
Rural Community Development		  
2/22/1955  Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge
Rural Community Development