Alton A. Vannice FFA Leadership Fund

Alton A. Vannice was the 10th generation of his family to farm in America, a descendant of a long line of progressive agriculturalists who were pioneers on several of our continent’s frontiers.

While Alton learned his family’s values of progressive thinking, hard work, and determination, he learned the skills of leadership through his experiences in the Palmyra (Missouri) FFA Chapter. He honed his skills in parliamentary procedure and public speaking while serving two years as chapter president. He gained confidence and maturity working with his SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience).

By the time he graduated high school in 1959 and married his high school sweetheart, Joyce, Alton’s FFA experiences and education had grown his farm from one sow to 192 acres of rented cropland and full time employment as a mechanic at Vaughn and Burge’s John Deere dealership. Mr. Ross Swofford, Alton’s FFA advisor, stated that he had never seen such a serious and mature young man at such a young age, but it was the opportunities afforded Alton through FFA, which helped build his character.

Alton expressed his beliefs in his community and in agriculture as he served on numerous committees and boards throughout his farming career. The time spent learning leadership skills in FFA also set the stage for his community service as the Marion County Farm Bureau president, president of the Marion County Public Water District, and as a member and treasurer of the Palmyra R-I School Board. He gladly served in these capacities and others because he believed in the values espoused in the FFA creed: leadership, respect, the ability to work efficiently and think clearly, and in the promise of better days through better ways.

It is with these beliefs and in the knowledge that Alton would have wanted to promote the education of agriculture’s future leaders that his wife Joyce, and their entire family, decided to honor Alton’s legacy of agricultural leadership. The family endowed a scholarship fund for the further education of Palmyra FFA students who show outstanding leadership qualities and seek to enter agricultural careers.

Visit the Scholarships page for scholarship application details.