John Mount had the principal leadership responsibility for planning and executing the 50th Anniversary celebration of the founding of 4-H in Springfield, OH and the issuance of the 4-H 50th Anniversary commemorative U.S. postage stamp in 1952. He helped establish the Ohio 4-H Foundation, one of the first private 4-H foundations, and served as a board member & officer 1951-52 and 1984-92.He is currently serving on the Steering Committee for the Ohio 4-H Campaign for Excellence which has raised over $12.6 million to build a new 4-H Center on the OSU campus.
Mount directed the first State 4-H Leadership Camps beginning in 1946 and provided leadership for establishing 4-H Camp Palmer and A.B. Graham 4-H Camp. John was the first project director of the 4-H International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) in Ohio in 1950. He provided leadership for the first university courses for professionals on 4-H, volunteerism, and committee methods (predecessors to “Extension Summer Schools and astablishing the first Ohio Soil & Water Conservation Districts. He helped to establish the Peace Corps and early program models which helped expand 4-H and Extension worldwide.
