Dane White: National FFA President 2001–02
California · No. 75 of 100 · National FFA President 2001–02
At a Glance
- Office: National FFA President, 2001–02 (No. 75 of 100)
- Home state: California
- Stated goal in 2001: To teach agriculture
- Retiring address: 75th National FFA Convention, 2002
Dane White was elected to lead the national officer team in the fall of 2001, a few weeks after the September 11 attacks. A North Coast Journal profile from that December captures his own sense of what the FFA presidency meant, and the 2002 convention proceedings record how his year ended.
“A City Boy” in the Blue Jacket
White told the North Coast Journal that he had always had a soft spot for farming, loving the lifestyle, the hard work and the dedication it requires, while describing himself as a city boy who had never really lived on a farm. He said that was entirely appropriate for an FFA president, because agriculture is no longer just “cows and plows” and the organization trains students for more than 250 careers related to it. In California, the article notes, students who take agriculture classes automatically become FFA members, though not all become active members. He told the paper he was not expecting to run a farm himself; he wanted to teach agriculture.
The Year Ahead
The profile described the schedule ahead for the new president: a tour of state FFA conventions, where he would give keynote addresses and workshops, and a February trip to a global agriculture convention in Japan that included a tour of Japanese agriculture. He said he and the team were looking forward to the 75th national convention.
Answering Hard Questions
The article notes that White was asked about controversial topics, including the growing debate over genetically modified crops. He answered that FFA is an expressly nonpolitical organization that takes no official stance on controversial issues but supports education to encourage an informed debate.
The Retiring Address, 2002
The 2002 convention proceedings feature White’s retiring address, among those given by the six outgoing officers. One photograph shows him speechless after Olympic wrestling champion Rulon Gardner placed his gold medal around White’s neck during the proceedings.
What the Record Does Not Show
Sources about people with the same name and later careers do not mention the FFA presidency, and this site does not attribute any later career to him. We welcome documented additions.
Next: Tim Hammerich, 2002–03 →