National Cotton Council Of America
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The National Cotton Council of America is a trade organization for
cotton production in the United States The United States exports more cotton than any other country, though it ranks third in total production, behind China and India. Almost all of the cotton fiber growth and production occurs in the Southern United States and the Western United States ...
.


Purpose

The main purpose of the organization is to lobby in favor of farm bills agreeable to the cotton industry. Other goals include doing more research to improve cotton growth and promoting it to enhance marketing potential.


Structure

The Board of Directors, comprising thirty-five members, meets annually.National Cotton Council of America: About the National Cotton Council
/ref> Its current Chairman is Ronnie Lee. The council is affiliated with other organizations, such as the American Cotton Producers, Cotton Council International, The Cotton Foundation, the National Cotton Ginners Association, etc.National Cotton Council of America: NCC Related Organizations
/ref>


History

The organization was launched at the
Peabody Hotel The Peabody Memphis is a historic luxury hotel in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, opened in 1925. The hotel is known for the "Peabody Ducks" that live on the hotel rooftop and make daily treks to the lobby. The Peabody is a member of Historic Hote ...
in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
on November 21, 1938, by Oscar G. Johnston.National Cotton Council of America: Timeline
/ref>Timothy Curtis Jacobson, George David Smith, ''Cotton's Renaissance: A Study in Market Innovation'', Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 10

/ref> A few months later, in January 1939, the first council meeting took place at the
Adolphus Hotel Hotel Adolphus (often referred to as "The Adolphus") is an upscale hotel in the Main Street District of Downtown Dallas Dallas, Texas. A Dallas Landmark, it was for several years the tallest building in the state. Today, the hotel is part of Mar ...
in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
. From 1940 to 1993, it sponsored the Maid of Cotton at the
Carnival Memphis Carnival Memphis (formerly known as the Memphis Cotton Carnival), is a series of parties and festivals staged annually since 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee by the centralized Carnival Memphis Association and its member krewes (similar to that of Mardi ...
in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
. In 1946, the council lobbied in favor of Public Law 733, also known as the 'Agricultural Research and Marketing Act.' Two years later, in 1948, it lobbied Congresspeople from the
Cotton Belt The Cotton Belt is a region of the Southern United States where cotton was the predominant cash crop from the late 18th century into the 20th century.
in favor of the European Recovery Plan, also known as the
Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...
, set to boost the American cotton industry. In 1950, the Winter Cotton Breeding Nursery was set up in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Four years later, the council lobbied in favor of adding American cotton to The Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954, which became known as Public Law 480 and created the Food for Peace program within the
United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
(USAID). As a result, foreign nations were encouraged to purchase agricultural products from the United States, including cotton. A year later, in 1955, The Cotton Foundation was established. Its goal is to use donations from industry participants to develop research and education programs for the American cotton industry. That same year, the headquarters of the council was built at 1918 North Parkway in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2008, the Council moved to its current address, 7193 Goodlett Farms Parkway, Cordova, TN 38016. In 1956, the Agricultural Act of 1956 imposed protectionist restrictions on imports of foreign cotton into the United States. Later that year, Cotton Council International was formed; its goal was to assist the Foreign Agricultural Service division of USAID. In 1960, the Cotton Producers Institute was established to promote research and education about American cotton. Four years later, in 1964, one single system of price was established for American cotton. Two more years later, in 1966, the Research and Promotion Act was passed by Congress and approved by the Senate; it led to the promotion of cotton towards the American consumer. From 1971 to 1973, the council spearheaded efforts to remove
boll weevil The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a beetle that feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing ...
s from cotton fields in Southern
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
and
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, leading to greater productivity. A similar effort was implemented in
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in 1977. In 1988, the council organized the first annual 'COTTON USA International Seminar' in
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
.


See also

*
Feed sack dress Feed sack dresses, flour sack dresses, or feedsack dresses were a common article of clothing in rural US and Canadian communities from the late 19th century through the mid 20th century. They were made at home, usually by women, using the cotton ...


References

{{Authority control Organizations established in 1938 1938 establishments in the United States Organizations based in Memphis, Tennessee Agricultural marketing organizations Cotton industry in the United States Agricultural marketing in the United States Cotton organizations