As a Univ. of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth Development Specialist, George Daigh put his creativity to work in 4-H that left a mark nationally. He became President and Director of the Illinois 4-H Foundation in the early years and introduced the first direct public sector mail solicitation campaign. It was most successful in Illinois and was quickly adopted by other states. He launched “$4 Million for 4-H” campaign – an ambitious project in the early 1980s. Daigh has always been a dog lover. He developed the first 4-H dog care and obedience training project in Illinois and spear-headed its nationwide adoption. Nearly 50 years after introducing the 4-H dog project, Daigh remains a loyal donor to it and other 4-H programs.
The need for quality 4-H volunteer training opportunities has been a priority to Daigh. In the 1970s and 80s, he saw the need for training 4-H volunteers in ways other than meetings, so he pioneered a home training concept. He developed ” You Help Youth” vinyl sound sheets played on a record player and work books that volunteers completed while listening to the mini-lectures at home. These were later recorded on cassette tapes. Another cutting edge development was the automating of 4-H livestock judging at the state and national levels. He designed a computerized system and tested it in Illinois in the 1970s. Daigh is active in Habitat for Humanity and in his church, and served two terms on the Urbana School Board.
