National History 
Excerpted from “The Master Gardener Program, A Washington State University Extension Success Story: Early History from 1973” by David Gibby, William Scheer, Sharon Collman, George Pinyuh. Used with permission from the Washington State University Extension Service. 
 
Washington State University Cooperative Extension traditionally assigned horticulture faculty to county offices as part of the Agriculture, Home Economics, and 4-H outreach education programs. The emphasis of the horticultural programs was crop production. It was not until rapid urban growth and the burgeoning interest in gardening that Extension began to develop programs emphasizing urban horticulture. 
 
In 1971, David Gibby and Bill Scheer, area Extension agents, started separate assignments in the major metropolitan areas represented by King and Pierce Counties. They focused, respectively, on urban and commercial horticulture. Public demand for information about plant problems was so intense that it made educational programming for either of them virtually impossible. 
 
Initially, administrators suggested that getting information out via mass media would solve that problem. The resulting television and radio gardening shows put on by Gibby served only to make the public more aware that the Extension office was the place to get help. Consequently, Gibby and Scheer met to explore other avenues to most effectively address the needs of the backyard gardener. 
 
Among approaches considered was the concept of attracting and training volunteers to serve the urban audience. This appeared to be the most feasible option as it would free Gibby and Scheer from constantly reacting to public demand and allow them to be proactive in fulfilling educational needs. Recruitment would require a careful selection process. 
 
An appropriate and distinguished title would also be necessary. As both Gibby and Scheer had worked in Germany, acquiring language proficiency and understanding of the culture, they knew that Germans bestow titles for hard-earned proficiency levels in various crafts. The top proficiency level in horticulture is denoted by “Gartenmeister,” which they anglicized as “Master Gardener.” This title would be appropriate for volunteers who had received extensive training. 
The volunteer concept was discussed many times before it was taken to various subject matter specialists at the Western Washington Research and Extension Center in Puyallup. The specialists initially rejected the idea of training volunteers. 
 
To test the viability of the concept, Gibby, in 1972, organized a trial clinic at the Tacoma Mall featuring specialists to see if the public demonstrated interest in receiving gardening information. In preparation he wrote articles for the Tacoma papers and aired spots on television. The results were far better than specialists had expected. They were now convinced and committed to help train volunteers. Gibby was now able to take the project to the next level. 
 
Gibby had arranged for Steve Lorton, with Sunset Magazine, to cover the trial clinic. Lorton wrote an article for the Northwest edition under the caption “Wanted: Expert Gardeners to Become Master Gardeners.” There were about 600 initial inquiries. Gibby interviewed all applicants and accepted 300. 
 
The next step was to develop a training curriculum. Subject matter was to include culture of ornamental plants, lawns, vegetables, and fruits; control of plant diseases, insects, and weeds; and safe use of pesticides. Sessions were to be held eight hours per day, one day a week, for five weeks. At the end of training, volunteers were required to pass subject matter exams, as well as an exam for pesticide licensing by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Master Gardeners were then committed to volunteering a specified number of hours working with the gardening public. 
 
The first training sessions in King County took place at the Renton Library, and in Pierce County at the Tacoma Grange Hall during the spring of 1973. Later that same year, training was provided in the eastern Washington city of Spokane, making the new program a statewide endeavor. 
 
It is not possible to name all who have made significant contributions to this program over the years. The list includes many faculty members and dedicated program assistants who started Master Gardener programs statewide and deserve much credit. As time progressed, the program received the credibility and recognition it well deserved. 
 
There are now 3,100 volunteers across the state. They staff plant clinics in 105 communities at 171 locations. Each Master Gardener receives approximately 60 hours of training and gives back a minimum of 50 hours of free public service in horticultural assistance to his or her community. Some have served actively in the program for more than 20 years. They are grass-root educators who extend the service of the University to more than 300,000 people each year. 
 
The horticulture master volunteer concept is so effective that it has spread throughout the United States and several provinces of Canada. It has been adopted by various other disciplines of University Extension such as food preservation, clothing and textiles, animal husbandry, and resource conservation (e.g., Master Food Preserver and Safety Advisors, Clothing and Textile Advisors, Livestock Advisors, Master Composters, Beach Watchers, and Waste Warriors).
 
Mississippi History 
The first Master Gardener programs were established in Hinds and Harrison Counties in 1991and 1992. The first Master Gardeners were certified in December 1992. The Master Gardener State Association was formed on May 17, 1998. The purpose of the state association is to promote responsible horticultural practices in accordance with the research and recommendations of Extension.