Sylvans & ASFC Conclave

The Forestry Department was organized in 1946 under the direction of W.R. Owens and the Sylvans Professional Forestry Students Club was officially recognized on campus with the adoption of its constitution on December 17, 1946. Undoubtedly, most, if not all, of the initial students in forestry at SFA in the early days of this program were involved in the Sylvans. Additionally, the majority of the students were WWII Veterans. The 1947 Edition of the Stone Fort contains a picture of the initial 28 members of the Sylvans, including C.L. Mallory (1st Sylvans President) and Kenneth Morgan (1st Sylvans Advisor). The Sylvans name undoubtedly was chosen to avoid confusion because the primary men’s social club on campus at the time was called The Foresters. The Stone Fort picture also shows J. Neuville Bogard and Johnny Long as members of the Sylvans. These two men were the first graduates with a BS degree in forestry from SFA (both graduated in May, 1947). The primary function of the Sylvans was to provide a forum for professional development for the students. Speakers from within the profession were brought to campus to focus on the various fields within forestry and on the types of careers available in forestry.

The Sylvans also held an Annual Forestry Field Day that apparently was a major event on the campus. The field day was replaced with “Lumberjack Day”, which is now held annually during the festivities associated with Homecoming, and Sylvans’ Conclave Runoff Day. Lumberjack Day is designed to allow participation in Lumberjack sports, such as crosscut sawing, by students and organizations not sponsored by the College of Forestry. Runoff Day is held to select the participants for the Annual Forestry Conclave.

In 1958, the Association of Southern Forestry Clubs (ASFC) was organized by the University of Georgia. The first ASFC Conclave was hosted by Georgia and representatives from SFA attended and participated. The Sylvans thus became one of the founding members of the ASFC. The Annual Conclave eventually became the primary focus of the Sylvans. The Sylvans have built a reputation among the participating schools as a “club to be reckoned with”. The Sylvans have placed first or second in 17 of the last 20 Conclaves! SFA has hosted Conclave three times: 1966, 1977, and 1994. Since ’77, SFA has won Conclave every time it has been held in Texas. Texas A&M hosted Conclave in 1986 and in 2002 and SFA placed first both times. SFA also won Conclave in 1995 (at Florida) and in 2001 (at Auburn).

The Sylvans remain as one of the strongest organizations in the College of Forestry. However, the original purpose of serving as the “organization for professional forestry students” has been reduced since the inception of the SFASU Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters. It has been blessed to have many of the top students serve as officers. Fifty-five students have served as the President of the Sylvans; several students have served more than one year, several served only one semester. Ms. Mackenzie Woolley of Azle, TX is the only President who has held the presidency for 3 years. Seven women have served as President.

During the early years, all faculty members in the Department of Forestry served as Sylvans’ advisors. As the Department grew and more organizations were added, the number of faculty who served as an advisor to the Sylvans was reduced to 1 or 2 per year. A complete history of the Sylvans is available here which lists the faculty advisor(s), president, and conclave placement of the Sylvans since 1964.

Several faculty members served for extended periods:

Mr. Kenneth Morgan: 1946 to 1949
Dr. Nelson Samson: 1953-1961 (and again in 1964)
Dr. Robert Baker: 1957 to 1962
Mr. Ellis Hunt: 1961 to 1965
Dr. James Howard: 1978 to 1981
Dr. Michael S. Fountain: 1981 to present.

Dr. Fountain has participated in the Conclave as a faculty advisor every year for the past 31 years (3 years while serving as the University of Arkansas-Monticello faculty advisor).

An interesting sidelight to the history of the Sylvans was the founding of a group known as the Laurels in the Fall of 1961. This organization was composed of the wives of forestry students and they assisted the Sylvans with various events each year.