The blue corduroy jacket celebrates a momentous occasion in 2023: 90 years as part of FFA Official Dress. Its origin dates to 1933, when FFA advisor Gus Linter saw a blue corduroy jacket in the window of a hardware store in Fredericktown, Ohio. He connected with the jacket supplier and had his chapter’s name stitched on the back of the jackets with gold thread. (Here, Linter presents the first jacket to Ohio FFA nearly 20 years after its 1933 debut.) The jackets were so popular at that year’s national convention that the official delegates made them part of the official FFA attire. The jacket’s popularity remains. The millionth FFA jacket was sold in 1964, and by 1976, 2 million jackets had been sold. Today, more than 80,000 jackets are sold annually.
Through the support of sponsors and donors, FFA is able to provide blue jackets to deserving members. Learn more about the Give the Gift of Blue program and apply at FFA.org/GiveBlue.
