From the book THE NATIONAL by Mitchel Burns 1975  

    On Saturday, October 18, 1975, the first National contest since the Tonica, Illinois National of 1941 was held on the Roger Hockersmith farm less than a mile west of Oakley, Kansas. Approximately 400 people witnessed revival history being made as 10 contestants battled for the first post-World War II National trophy. The huskers who took part in that historic contest included the top three Kansas huskers from the state contest the previous day, Ray Johnson, John Jackson, and Marvin Lewis. Iowa's top three huskers in attendance were Joe Anholt, Elmer Carlson, and Robert Ferguson. Albert Pabst and John Groten from Minnesota had made the trip, as well as Floyd Engel from South Dakota and B. J. Vested from Colorado. Most of these men were experienced huskers who had spent many fall days in their youth husking corn. Some of them had not only husked for their livelihood but had also husked competitively in contests held during the years before World War II.
    Among them, 58-year-old Ray Johnson of Farlington, who had edged out John Jackson for the Kansas championship; Joe
Anholt, the 55-year-old Iowa champion; and Elmer Carlson of Audubon, Iowa, were three such huskers. Johnson had husked in the 1938 and 1940 Kansas state contests, placing fourth in 1938 and sixth in 1940. Anholt had been husking since he had been in fourth grade and had won the 1940 Greene County, Iowa contest. In that contest Anholt had husked a few pounds over 45 bushels, a county record. However, the husker with the most notoriety that day was Elmer Carlson. Not only had he placed second behind Anholt in the Iowa state contest earlier that fall, he was also the 1935 National champ. At the time of his National victory, Carlson was 26 years old, weighed 180 pounds, and stood 6' tall. His Indiana National record of 41.52 bushels had held until 1940 when Irvin Bauman of Illinois broke it with 46.58 bushels. At age 66, Carlson would compete for his last time in a National contest. Just as he had done before the start of the 1935 battle in Indiana, Carlson removed his coat and shirt minutes before his heat started and husked bare-chested.
    When the second heat of five contestants ended around noon, the 22 husking was concluded and the calculations were finalized. Anholthad thrown the most corn in his wagon with a gross weight of 520.5 pounds. But, 2.25 ounces of husks from his 20 pound corn sample yielded a husks deduction of 36.45 pounds of corn, enough to place him behind John Jackson of Kansas. The 53-year-old Jackson had a smaller gross load of 493.5 pounds but no husks deduction. His clean husking had helped him win his firstNational title. Following Jackson and Anholt in the placings were Ray Johnson in third; Elmer Carlson, fourth; Robert Ferguson, fifth; and Albert Pabst, sixth. The competition was keen that day among the 10 contestants and would continue in the Nationals to come. Groten, Johnson, Lewis, Pabst, Ferguson, Anholt, and Jackson would continue to compete in the Open class for many years. Jackson would repeat as the National Champion in 1985 and 1992. Anholt would be a top contender for years and win the championship in 1986. Ferguson would end up becoming the National champ six times, winning the title in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1991, and 1996. And not to omit Pabst, he would win the National in 1982. Other superb huskers would soon make their appearance along with this field of 10 to make National competition a highly serious business.
    The conclusion to the National contest that afternoon was the trophy presentation held in the Little Cafe in downtown Oakley. Handing out the trophies to the winners was U. S. Representative Keith Sebelius of Kansas.
    The Oakley National that October afternoon ended a 33-year hiatus in National competition. It was fitting that one of the competitors in the contest, Elmer Carlson, had been one of the best to wear the hook in a pre-War National. History had indeed repeated itself in grand fashion. The names of the people involved in husking and contest management had changed and the date was different; however, the quality of competition, the intense desire of the huskers to give their all, and the efforts of the contest workers and managers had not changed through the years. Through the vision and efforts of Ross Nelson and the Oakley organization, National cornhusking competition had returned to the cornbelt. More states would revive their contests after 1975, and the number of entrants eligible for the Men's Open class would expand to 27 by 1983 when Missouri competitions revived. As the years passed, the addition of more classes such as the Senior Men, the Women's Open, and other age classes broadened the scope of husking. This allowed many more people to enjoy the thrill of competition, the travel to other states, had thrown the most corn in his wagon with a gross weight of 520.5 pounds. But, 2.25 ounces of husks from his 20 pound corn sample yielded a husks deduction of 36.45 pounds of corn, enough to place him behind John Jackson of Kansas. The 53-year-old Jackson had a smaller gross load of 493.5 pounds but no husks deduction. His clean husking had helped him win his first National title. Following Jackson and Anholt in the placings were Ray Johnson in third; Elmer Carlson, fourth; Robert Ferguson, fifth; and Albert Pabst, sixth. The competition was keen that day among the 10 contestants and would continue in the Nationals to come. Groten, Johnson, Lewis, Pabst, Ferguson, Anholt, and Jackson would continue to compete in the Open class for many years. Jackson would repeat as the National Champion in 1985 and 1992. Anholt would be a top contender for years and win the championship in 1986. Ferguson would end up becoming the National champ six times, winning the title in 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1991, and 1996. And not to omit Pabst, he would win the National in 1982. Other superb huskers would soon make their appearance along with this field of 10 to make National competition a highly serious business. The conclusion to the National contest that afternoon was the trophy presentation held in the Little Cafe in downtown Oakley. Handing out the trophies to the winners was U. S. Representative Keith Sebelius of Kansas. The Oakley National that October afternoon ended a 33-year hiatus in National competition. It was fitting that one of the competitors in the contest, Elmer Carlson, had been one of the best to wear the hook in a pre-War National. History had indeed repeated itself in grand fashion. The names of the people involved in husking and contest management had changed and the date was different; however, the quality of competition, the intense desire of the huskers to give their all, and the efforts of the contest workers and managers had not changed through the years. Through the vision and efforts of Ross Nelson and the Oakley organization, National cornhusking competition had returned to the cornbelt. More states would revive their contests after 1975, and the number of entrants eligible for the Men's Open class would expand to 27 by 1983 when Missouri competitions revived. As the years passed, the addition of more classes such as the Senior Men, the Women's Open, and other age classes broadened the scope of husking. This allowed many more people to enjoy the thrill of competition, the travel to other states, and the development of friendships throughout the cornbelt. From 1975 to the writing of this book, the National contest has been held each fall with the contest site alternating among the nine member states in the National Cornhuskers Association.