Land-grant universities were established by President Lincoln through the Morrill Act of 1862. Until then, higher education was reserved for the elite, but land-grant universities changed that, providing practical, accessible education to communities in fields such as farming, engineering and military science. Their contribution has endured, and they should be considered one of the United States’ “greatest strokes of brilliance”, says Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor and cooperative extension air quality specialist at the CLEAR Center, UC Davis. Read Dr Mitloehner’s views about the vital role of land-grant universities in advancing U.S. agriculture.
National parks have been called America’s best idea. No argument here, but I’d nevertheless like to add something to the shortlist of the United States’ strokes of brilliance: land-grant universities.
These specialized centers of learning and research have done much to shape the nation we know today. Distinctly American, they were ushered in by President Abraham Lincoln and the Morrill Act of 1862. Once written into law, the Morrill Act gave federal land to U.S. states and territories for the purpose of establishing colleges dedicated to farming and a few other curricula deemed useful, including engineering and military operations. As it was written, they were intended to “promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.”
The focus alone was a revolutionary concept. At the time land-grant universities were envisioned, colleges at home and abroad tended toward the more esoteric — and arguably less utilitarian — subjects of philosophy, mathematics, Latin, Greek, etc. Immersing oneself in them was no doubt noble, but it was a luxury few could afford.
Sowing the Seeds of Change
From the start, land-grant universities were much more democratic. They flew in the face of the brand of postsecondary education reserved primarily for wealthy white men by welcoming students wanting vocational education. It was — and is — education that directly benefits society by nurturing the industries needed by all; farming, for example.
Indeed, especially where agriculture is concerned, land-grant universities support an industry the public literally can’t do without. The education, research and cooperative extension provided by these colleges have done much to make America’s agriculture industry — and its many players — the envy of the world. Yet, land-grant universities don’t act in a vacuum. Instead, ag schools rely on and seek out public and private partnerships that allow their work to continue, making it more productive at the same time.
Its benefits notwithstanding, the federal gift of land spelled out in the Morrill Act of 1862 is not without controversy or black marks; they’ve been documented at length. And yet, the legislation jumpstarted higher education by giving funding and acreage to each state and territory as part of the first federal aid package designed to support and make accessible college-level learning. It effectively sowed the seeds of a system that would teach — among other things — agriculture, at the same time inventing ways to make farming better and more sustainable. Fortunately, both critical missions continue to this day.
Continue reading Dr. Mitloehner’s article on the UC Davis CLEAR Center blog to learn more about the history of land-grant universities and their unique contributions to American agriculture.
Access it here.