Dr. Leon W. Boucher

A pioneer for agricultural education, Leon Boucher, Ph.D. left his mark in many countries across the globe through his development of teacher training programs in agriculture. His work with the U.S. Agency for International Development stretched from the U.S. to India, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Sri Lanka and Lesotho.

In 1944, Boucher left his home of Green Springs, Ohio, to serve in the U.S. Navy, becoming a distinguished and decorated veteran for his services in WWII. He returned to work for The Ohio State University and Hilliard High School in 1950 where he was an educator at the Student Teacher Training Center and Vocational Agriculture Program. Boucher then taught as an assistant professor for Ohio State while he earned his Ph.D. in 1964. He remained at Ohio State as a professor overseeing recruitment and the agricultural education student teacher program until his retirement in 1986.

Boucher mentored hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students equipping them with the tools and knowledge they needed to succeed as agricultural educators. An agriculturalist to his core, Boucher’s impact on the industry spans far, wide and deep, paving the way for today’s agricultural educators.