Larry Alexander named to national 4-H Hall of Fame

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Retired state specialist Larry Alexander was honored by being inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame for his career spent serving young people through the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Program.

Alexander, of Starkville, was inducted in an Oct. 14 ceremony in Boise, Idaho. He was part of a 16-member class who entered the hall of fame in 2024, and is one of eight Mississippians in this group of honorees.

“Larry believed in the power of 4-H to transform a child’s life,” said Mariah Morgan, interim head of Extension’s Center for 4-H Youth Development. “He worked tirelessly to advance 4-H in Mississippi so that a young person could find a place to belong and excel.

“His work not only bettered the youth of our state, but he left a legacy through his mentorship of agents and specialists. His work continues in the lives that they touch every day,” she said.

Alexander began his 4-H career in 1981 when he became the 4-H agent for Marshall County. He was there for 11 years, leaving in 1993 for the state 4-H office as 4-H youth development specialist where he coordinated 4-H functions such as the record program and contests, scholarships and 4-H agent and volunteer training.

In 2011, Alexander moved from 4-H specialist to state coordinator. Until his retirement in 2019, he handled administrative duties for the state program, coordinating all 4-H activities with the help of state staff and others.

The National 4-H Hall of Fame was established in 2002 as part of the 4-H Centennial Project of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents. Honorees are nominated by their states based on their exceptional leadership at the local, state, national and international levels.