Land-Grant Colleges

Land-Grant Colleges Amber Barks Colorado State University November 4, 201 The road to the first land-grant colleges !"ring t#e mid 1$00s, abo"t %0 &er'ent o( t#e )ork(or'e in t#e United States )as made "& o( (armers and artisans* +oliti'al re(ormers )ere dissatis(ied )it# t#e '"rrent ed"'ational o&&ort"nities t#at )ere o((ered at liberal arts 'olleges* ,#ey )anted to im&rove t#e ed"'ational system by o((ering &ra'ti'al learning (or t#e agri'"lt"ral and me'#ani'al-ind"strial arts* .n 1%/0, United States 1e&resentative 2"stin Smit# 3orrill o( 4ermont introd"'ed a bill t#at )o"ld grant (ederal land to ea'# state to be sold t#e &ro'eeds (rom )#i'# )ere t#en to be "sed to b"ild a 'ollege (or &ra'ti'al kno)ledge* 5o)ever, many so"t#ern 'ongressmen o&&osed t#e (irst version o( t#e bill* ,#ere(ore, +resident B"'#anan, being a so"t#ern a&&easer, vetoed t#e bill in 1%/$ be'a"se #e believed #ig#er ed"'ation s#o"ld be le(t "& to t#e states 67ilson, n*d*8* 9n'e t#e so"t#ern states #ad se'eded and t#e Civil 7ar )as "nder)ay, +resident Abra#am Lin'oln signed t#e 3orrill Land-Grant College A't, better kno)n as t#e 3orrill A't o( 1%02 67ilson, n*d*8* ,#e a't )as named a(ter its s&onsor, 4ermont 'ongressman 2"stin S* 3orrill* ,#e a't

Land-Grant Colleges

&rovided ea'# state 0,000 a'res o( (ederal land (or ea'# member o( Congress )#o re&resented t#at state* ,#e lands )ere to be sold to generate ("nds to establis# an endo)ment (or t#e 'onstr"'tion and maintenan'e o( one or more s'#ools t#at )o"ld tea'# agri'"lt"re and t#e me'#ani'al-ind"strial arts* All land grant 'olleges )ere also re:"ired to in'l"de military training as &art o( t#eir '"rri'"l"m* ,#is &rovision led to today;s 1eserve 9((i'ers ,raining Cor&s 619,C8, an ed"'ational &rogram (or ("t"re military o((i'ers 6<Land grant 'ollege,= n*d*8* Education is not just for the elite Be(ore t#e 3orrill A't, 'ollege ed"'ation 'entered itsel( aro"nd t#e liberal arts and 'atered to elite )#ite men* 3ost o( t#ese men grad"ated )it# degrees in religion, medi'ine, la), or &#iloso&#y* ,#e legislation o( 1%02 )as designed to s"&&ort a more #ands-on '"rri'"l"m t#at )o"ld aid t#e ne) nation in develo&ing a more re(ined ind"strial base and a s'ienti(i' a&&roa'# to agri'"lt"re and t#e me'#ani'al arts* .t )as meant (or t#e <'#ildren o( 'ommon &eo&le, and anyone )#o #ad talent and motivation* .t didn;t matter #o) m"'# money yo"r &arents #ad= 6Bro)n, 2012, &* 18* State opposition to land-grant colleges 7#en t#e 3orrill A't )as originally &assed, most states balked at t#e idea o( &roviding state ("nding to a (ederally mandated 'ollege* ,#ere )ere (e) tea'#ers )#o )ere trained in t#e s"b>e't areas and t#e s'#ools s"((ered lo) enrollments d"e to t#e )ar* <Land-grant 'ollege &residents George 7*

Land-Grant Colleges

At#erton, 5enry ?* Alvord, and 5enry 5* Goodell lobbied aggressively (or t#e &assage o( t)o additional (ederal la)s t#at #el&ed t#e str"ggling instit"tions gain better (inan'ial s"&&ort and garner #ig#er enrollments= 67ilson, n*d*, &* 18* ,#eir e((orts led to ,#e 5at'# A't o( 1%%@ and t#e Se'ond 3orrill A't* The Hatch Act of 1887 ,#e 5at'# A't o( 1%%@ mandated all land-grant s'#ools establis# agri'"lt"ral eA&eriment stations* 67ilson, n*d*8 ,#is &rovision to t#e la) )as in res&onse to t#e 'o"ntry;s la'k o( kno)ledge in t#e area o( agri'"lt"re )#i'# #ad res"lted in a (ailing ind"stry leaving many (armers in debt* ,#e government agreed to &rovide ("nding to states )illing to 'ond"'t agri'"lt"ral resear'# 6Neilson B 3orar", n*d*8* 1esear'# 'ond"'ted at t#ese stations needed to in'l"de &#ysiology o( &lants and animalsC diseases and remedies o( &lants and animalsC 'om&arative advantages o( 'ro& rotationC 'a&a'ity o( &lants to a''limateC analysis o( soil and )aterC analysis o( vario"s ty&es o( (ertiliDation and t#eir 'om&arative e((e'ts on 'ro&sC digestibility o( (oods (or (arm animalsC and any ot#er resear'# deemed dire'tly related to and bene(i'ial (or t#e United States agri'"lt"re ind"stry 6Neilson B 3orar", n*d*, &* 18* By im&lementing t#is ty&e o( resear'#, t#e government #o&ed to &romote more e((i'ient agri'"lt"ral &ra'ti'es t#at )o"ld bring abo"t a more &ros&ero"s nation as a )#ole* 7it#o"t t#e ("nds t#e 5at'# A't &rovided

Land-Grant Colleges

many o( t#e 'olleges establis#ed by t#e 3orrill A't may #ave str"ggled to &rovide val"able agri'"lt"ral resear'# d"e to la'k o( ("nds 6Neilson B 3orar", n*d*8* Morrill Act of 18 ! 3orrill Land-Grant A't evolved in 1%$0 to in'l"de a &rovision t#at re:"ired land-grant s'#ools to allo) bla'k st"dents to attend* So"t#ern and Border States )anted to maintain t#eir segregated ed"'ational (a'ilities* ,#ere(ore, t#e a't &rovided a loo&#ole (or so"t#ern states t#at allo)ed t#em to establis# t)o land-grant s'#ools, one )#ite and one bla'k* By establis#ing t)o se&arate b"t e:"al s'#ools t#e state )as 'onsidered in agreement )it# t#e la)* ,#ereby, allo)ing t#e state to re'eive t#e ("nding 62o#nston n*d*8* Any state t#at #ad "sed t#e ("nds (rom t#e 3orrill A't o( 1%02 to ("nd ed"'ation (or an entirely )#ite st"dent &o&"lation )as re:"ired to o&en t#eir 'olleges to bla'ks or &rovide se&arate 'olleges (or t#em 6Clark, n*d*8* ,#is &rovision )as )#at ins&ired t#e establis#ment o( t#e nation;s 1@ #istori'ally bla'k land-grant 'olleges 6So"t# Carolina State University, n*d*8* 5o)ever, i( t#ere )ere 'olleges (or di((erent ra'es t#e 3orrill A't o( 1%$0 re:"ired t#at ("nds be e:"ally divided bet)een t#em* S"ith-Le#er Act 1 1$

Land-Grant Colleges

,#e Smit#-Lever A't o( 1$14 establis#ed a &artners#i& bet)een t#e United States !e&artment o( Agri'"lt"re and land-grant "niversities to 'reate t#e Coo&erative ?Atension +rogram* ,#e a't )as 'odi(ied into la) and began &roviding ("nding (or o"trea'# endeavors &rovided by t#e land-grant "niversities t#at )ere (o"nded by t#e 3orrill A't o( 1%02* ,#e Smit#-Lever A't )as later amended to in'l"de t#e 1%$0 land-grant "niversities and t#e 1$$4 ,ribal Colleges* ,#e a't )as introd"'ed in order to &rovide r"ral Ameri'a )it# vo'ational, agri'"lt"ral, and #ome demonstration &rograms 6LSU AgCenter, 201 8* ,#ese &rograms )o"ld demonstrate &ra'ti'al a&&li'ations o( eAisting or im&roved &ra'ti'es and te'#nologies in t#e area o( agri'"lt"re 6+atterson, n*d*8* ,#e Smit#- Lever A't )as t#e (irst a't to re:"ire t#e state to mat'# (ederal ("nding* Smit#-Lever set "& a series o( general demonstrations t#at )o"ld be ta"g#t by 'o"nty eAtension agents in t#e lo'al (ields* ,#ese lo'al agents )o"ld &rovide a 'onne'tion bet)een t#e land-grant 'olleges )#o )ere doing t#e resear'# and t#e (armer )#o 'o"ld "tiliDe t#e in(ormation to im&rove (arming &ra'ti'es* ,#ose )#o s"&&orted t#e bill (elt t#e in(ormation gained t#ro"g# resear'# at t#e agri'"lt"re 'olleges )as not rea'#ing t#ose )#o needed it t#e most, t#e (armers* E"rt#ermore, t#ey believed (armers )o"ld bene(it more i( t#e in(ormation )as delivered t#ro"g# lo'al demonstrations* ,#ese demonstrations )o"ld be ta"g#t by a kno)ledgeable 'o"nty eAtension agent )#o 'o"ld s#o) t#e (armers #o) to a&&ly t#e

Land-Grant Colleges

resear'# rat#er t#an '#allenging t#em to read t#e in(ormation (rom &am&#lets or books on t#eir o)n 6+atterson, n*d*8* Conclusion Colle'tively t#ese a'ts #ave im&roved t#e lives o( millions o( Ameri'ans by &roviding &ra'ti'al ed"'ation (or &eo&le o( all so'ial 'lasses, not >"st t#e elite* ,#e 3orrill A'ts #ave be'ome a key ed"'ational reso"r'e (or o"r 'o"ntry* ,#ese a'ts #ave '#anged t#e 'o"rse o( #ig#er ed"'ation by s#i(ting it (rom 'lassi'al st"dies to more a&&lied st"dies t#at )o"ld &re&are st"dents (or &roblems t#ey may (a'e in real )orld sit"ations* E"rt#ermore, t#e 3orrill A't, t#e 5at'# A't, and t#e Smit#-Lever A't ens"red t#at t#ere )o"ld al)ays be money available to (inan'e ed"'ational (a'ilities and t#at t#e government )o"ld &rovide 'ontin"al s"&&ort (or t#ese instit"tions* ,#is in t"rn #as '#anged t#e (a'e o( ed"'ation (or t#e betterment o( t#e 'o"ntry as a )#ole*

Land-Grant Colleges

1e(eren'es Bro)n, E* 62012, November8* Morrill Act of 1862* 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--)))*'olostate*ed"-morrilla't-&art1*as&A Clark, C* 6n*d*8* Morrill Act of 1890. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F-->s'#ell*my)eb*"ga*ed"-#istory-legis-morrill*#tm 2o#ston, C* 6n*d*8* The 1890 Morrill Land-Grant College Act and the AfricanAmerican Civil Right Movement. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--)))*soe*vt*ed"-so'ialst"diesed-#i'ks-'>o#nsto-morrill*&d( Land grant 'ollege* 6n*d*8* !nc"clo#$dia %ritannica online* 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--)))*britanni'a*'om-?B'#e'ked-to&i'- 2$1 0-land-grant-'ollege

Land-Grant Colleges

LSU AgCenter* 6201 , 3ar'#8* A&o't (mith-Lever Act. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--)))*eAtension100years*net-en-administration-abo"tG"s-'#an'ell orsGo((i'e-eAtension-abo"t-smit#-leverNeilson, S* B 3orar", 5* 6n*d*8* )atch Act of 188*. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F-->s'#ell*my)eb*"ga*ed"-#istory-legis-#at'#*#tm +atterson, S* 6n*d*8* (mith-Lever Act 191+. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F-->s'#ell*my)eb*"ga*ed"-#istory-legis-smit#-lever*#tm So"t# Carolina State University* 6n*d*8* 1890 e,ten ion - re earch. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--)))*s's"*ed"-1%$0-1%$0ba'kgro"nd*as&A 7ilson, L* 6n*d*8* !nc"clo#edia of ./lahoma hi tor" and c'lt're. 1etrieved (rom #tt&F--digital*library*okstate*ed"-en'y'lo&edia-entries-l-la01/*#tml