In 1926, Will Pitts, president of the Marshall Texas Rotary club was invited to present a program at the Rotary International Convention, which had gained international recognition by helping boys in the county.   That program was started in 1921 with a loan to a farm boy named R. Levy Craig to buy a pure-bred sow. The young man was required to sign a note, at 6% interest and repay the loan after he sold the pig, so that the money could be loaned to another deserving young farm boy etc.

 

 

A similar offer was made to three Harrison County girls who were loaned $25 each to buy setting hens and pure-bred setting eggs, to be paid back at 6% interest after one year.

The funds were donated by the Henry Exall Loan Fund and Marshall Rotary was chosen to find a boy and three girls for this program and, with the assistance of the County Agent and the Home Economics Extension Agent, follow them throughout the year and “encourage them in every way possible”.

 

Ironically this appears to be the only year such a program like this was undertaken by the Marshall club, but, another such loan program was almost certainly a direct outcome, the Marshall Student Loan Fund, 1923 - 1948, using the exact same rules as the Henry Exall Loan Fund, helped over 150 students attend the college of their choice during those 25 years.

 

 

Congratulations to The Rotary Club of Marshall Texas for taking a good thing and making it better.