Land-grant university
Encyclopedia
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States
designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890
.
The Morrill Acts funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land
to the states
for the states to develop or sell to raise funds to establish and endow
"land-grant" colleges. The mission of these institutions as set forth in the 1862 Act is to focus on the teaching of practical agriculture
, science
and engineering
(though "without excluding ... classical studies"), as a response to the industrial revolution
and changing social class. This mission was in contrast to the historic practice of higher education to focus on an abstract Liberal Arts
curriculum.
Ultimately, most land-grant colleges became large public universities
that today offer a full spectrum of educational opportunities. However, some land-grant colleges are private schools, including Cornell University
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
in the late 1840s. The first land-grant bill was introduced in Congress by Representative Justin Smith Morrill
of Vermont
in 1857. The bill passed in 1859, but was vetoed by President James Buchanan
. Morrill resubmitted his bill in 1861, and it was ultimately enacted into law in 1862.
Upon passage of the federal land-grant law in 1862, Iowa was the first state legislature to accept the provisions of the Morrill Act, on September 11, 1862. Iowa subsequently designated the State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University
) as the land grant college on March 29, 1864. The first land-grant institution actually created under the Act was Kansas State University
, which was established on February 16, 1863, and opened on September 2, 1863. The oldest school to hold land-grant status presently is Rutgers University
, founded in 1766 and designated the land-grant college of New Jersey in 1864.
A second Morrill Act was passed in 1890, aimed at the former Confederate states
. This act required each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for persons of color. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today's historically Black colleges and universities
. Though the 1890 Act granted cash instead of land, it granted colleges under that act the same legal standing as the 1862 Act colleges; hence the term "land-grant college" properly applies to both groups.
Later on, other colleges such as the University of the District of Columbia
and the "1994 land-grant colleges" for Native Americans were also awarded cash by Congress in lieu of land to achieve "land-grant" status.
In imitation of the land-grant colleges' focus on agricultural and mechanical research, Congress later established programs of sea grant colleges
(aquatic research, in 1966), urban grant colleges (urban research, in 1985), space grant colleges
(space research, in 1988), and sun grant colleges
(sustainable energy research, in 2003).
West Virginia State University
is the only current land-grant university to have surrendered its land-grant status, which happened in 1957, and to later regain this status, which happened in 2001; and is also the smallest land-grant university in the country.
Prior to enactment of the Morrill Act in 1862, Michigan State University
was chartered under Michigan state law as a state land-grant institution on February 12, 1855, as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan
, receiving an appropriation of 14000 acres (56.7 km²) of state-owned land. The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, later to become Pennsylvania State University
, followed as a state land-grant school on February 22 of that year.
Michigan State and Penn State were subsequently designated as the federal land-grant colleges for their states in 1863.
, which provided federal funds to states to establish a series of agricultural experiment station
s under the direction of each state's land-grant college, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth. The outreach mission was further expanded by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914
to include cooperative extension
— the sending of agents into rural areas to help bring the results of agricultural research to the end users. Beyond the original land grants, each land-grant college receives annual Federal appropriations for research and extension work on the condition that those funds are matched by state funds.
s, only a few of the more than 70 institutions that developed from the Morrill Acts retain "College" in their official names; most are universities.
The University of the District of Columbia
received land-grant status in 1967 and a $7.24 million endowment (USD
) in lieu of a land grant. In a 1972 Special Education Amendment, American Samoa
, Guam
, Micronesia
, Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands
each received $3 million.
In 1994, 29 tribal colleges and universities
became land-grant institutions under the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act. As of 2008, 32 tribal colleges and universities have land-grant status. Most of these colleges grant two-year degrees. Six are four-year institutions, and two offer a master's degree.
(a program instituted in 1966), space grant colleges
(instituted in 1988), urban-grant colleges or sun grant colleges
(instituted in 2003). In some states, the land-grant missions for agricultural research and extension have been relegated to a statewide agency of the university system rather than the original land-grant campus; an example is the The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890
Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act
The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges, including the Morrill Act of 1862 and the Morrill Act of 1890 -Passage of original bill:...
.
The Morrill Acts funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land
Land (economics)
In economics, land comprises all naturally occurring resources whose supply is inherently fixed. Examples are any and all particular geographical locations, mineral deposits, and even geostationary orbit locations and portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Natural resources are fundamental to...
to the states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
for the states to develop or sell to raise funds to establish and endow
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
"land-grant" colleges. The mission of these institutions as set forth in the 1862 Act is to focus on the teaching of practical agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
(though "without excluding ... classical studies"), as a response to the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and changing social class. This mission was in contrast to the historic practice of higher education to focus on an abstract Liberal Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
curriculum.
Ultimately, most land-grant colleges became large public universities
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
that today offer a full spectrum of educational opportunities. However, some land-grant colleges are private schools, including Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
History
The concept of publicly funded agricultural and technical educational institutions first rose to national attention through the efforts of Jonathan Baldwin TurnerJonathan Baldwin Turner
Jonathan Baldwin Turner Born in Templeton, Massachusetts, Turner was a classical scholar, botanist, dedicated Christian, and political activist. He was perhaps the leading voice in the social movement of the 1850's that produced the land grant universities that pioneered public higher education in...
in the late 1840s. The first land-grant bill was introduced in Congress by Representative Justin Smith Morrill
Justin Smith Morrill
Justin Smith Morrill was a Representative and a Senator from Vermont, most widely remembered today for the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act that established federal funding for establishing many of the United States' public colleges and universities...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in 1857. The bill passed in 1859, but was vetoed by President James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
. Morrill resubmitted his bill in 1861, and it was ultimately enacted into law in 1862.
Upon passage of the federal land-grant law in 1862, Iowa was the first state legislature to accept the provisions of the Morrill Act, on September 11, 1862. Iowa subsequently designated the State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
) as the land grant college on March 29, 1864. The first land-grant institution actually created under the Act was Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, which was established on February 16, 1863, and opened on September 2, 1863. The oldest school to hold land-grant status presently is Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, founded in 1766 and designated the land-grant college of New Jersey in 1864.
A second Morrill Act was passed in 1890, aimed at the former Confederate states
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. This act required each state to show that race was not an admissions criterion, or else to designate a separate land-grant institution for persons of color. Among the seventy colleges and universities which eventually evolved from the Morrill Acts are several of today's historically Black colleges and universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. Though the 1890 Act granted cash instead of land, it granted colleges under that act the same legal standing as the 1862 Act colleges; hence the term "land-grant college" properly applies to both groups.
Later on, other colleges such as the University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
and the "1994 land-grant colleges" for Native Americans were also awarded cash by Congress in lieu of land to achieve "land-grant" status.
In imitation of the land-grant colleges' focus on agricultural and mechanical research, Congress later established programs of sea grant colleges
Sea grant colleges
The National Sea Grant College Program is a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce...
(aquatic research, in 1966), urban grant colleges (urban research, in 1985), space grant colleges
Space grant colleges
The space-grant colleges compose a network of 52 consortia, based at universities across the United States, for outer space-related research. Each consortium is based in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico and consists of multiple independent institutions, with one of the...
(space research, in 1988), and sun grant colleges
Sun grant colleges
The Sun Grant Association is a group of five U.S. universities that serve as regional centers of the Sun Grant Initiative, established by the U.S. Congress in the Sun Grant Research Initiative Act of 2003. They research and develop sustainable and environmentally friendly bio-based energy...
(sustainable energy research, in 2003).
West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State"...
is the only current land-grant university to have surrendered its land-grant status, which happened in 1957, and to later regain this status, which happened in 2001; and is also the smallest land-grant university in the country.
State law precedents
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
was chartered under Michigan state law as a state land-grant institution on February 12, 1855, as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan
History of Michigan State University
The history of Michigan State University dates back to 1855, when the Michigan Legislature established the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, with three buildings, five faculty members and 63 male students...
, receiving an appropriation of 14000 acres (56.7 km²) of state-owned land. The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, later to become Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, followed as a state land-grant school on February 22 of that year.
Michigan State and Penn State were subsequently designated as the federal land-grant colleges for their states in 1863.
Hatch Act
The mission of the land-grant universities was expanded by the Hatch Act of 1887Hatch Act of 1887
The Hatch Act of 1887 gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth...
, which provided federal funds to states to establish a series of agricultural experiment station
Agricultural experiment station
An agricultural experiment station is a research center that conducts scientific investigations to solve problems and suggest improvements in the food and agriculture industry...
s under the direction of each state's land-grant college, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth. The outreach mission was further expanded by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914
Smith-Lever Act of 1914
The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 is a United States federal law that established a system of cooperative extension services, connected to the land-grant universities, in order to inform people about current developments in agriculture, home economics, and related subjects. The Smith–Lever Act of 1914 is...
to include cooperative extension
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
— the sending of agents into rural areas to help bring the results of agricultural research to the end users. Beyond the original land grants, each land-grant college receives annual Federal appropriations for research and extension work on the condition that those funds are matched by state funds.
Expansion
While today's land-grant universities were initially known as land-grant collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s, only a few of the more than 70 institutions that developed from the Morrill Acts retain "College" in their official names; most are universities.
The University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
received land-grant status in 1967 and a $7.24 million endowment (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) in lieu of a land grant. In a 1972 Special Education Amendment, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
, Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
each received $3 million.
In 1994, 29 tribal colleges and universities
Tribal colleges and universities
Tribal colleges and universities are a category of higher education, minority-serving institutions in the United States. The educational institutions are distinguished by being controlled and operated by Native American tribes; they have become part of American Indians' institution-building in...
became land-grant institutions under the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act. As of 2008, 32 tribal colleges and universities have land-grant status. Most of these colleges grant two-year degrees. Six are four-year institutions, and two offer a master's degree.
Nomenclature
Land-grant universities are not to be confused with sea grant collegesSea grant colleges
The National Sea Grant College Program is a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce...
(a program instituted in 1966), space grant colleges
Space grant colleges
The space-grant colleges compose a network of 52 consortia, based at universities across the United States, for outer space-related research. Each consortium is based in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico and consists of multiple independent institutions, with one of the...
(instituted in 1988), urban-grant colleges or sun grant colleges
Sun grant colleges
The Sun Grant Association is a group of five U.S. universities that serve as regional centers of the Sun Grant Initiative, established by the U.S. Congress in the Sun Grant Research Initiative Act of 2003. They research and develop sustainable and environmentally friendly bio-based energy...
(instituted in 2003). In some states, the land-grant missions for agricultural research and extension have been relegated to a statewide agency of the university system rather than the original land-grant campus; an example is the The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.
Relevant legislation
- The Morrill Act of 1862
- The Hatch Act of 1887Hatch Act of 1887The Hatch Act of 1887 gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth...
- The second Morrill Act of 1890
- The Adams Act – 1906
- The Nelson Act – 1907
- The Smith–Lever Act of 1914
- Chapter 79 – May 8, 1914
- The Smith–Hughes Act – 1917
- The Parnell Act – 1925
- The Copper–Ketcham Act – 1928
- The Bankhead–Jones Act of 1935
- The Bankhead–Flannegan Act – 1945
- The Research Marketing Act – 1946
- Amendment to Smith–Lever Act – 1953, 1955, 1961, 1962, 1968
- Amended Hatch ActHatch Act of 1887The Hatch Act of 1887 gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth...
– 1955 - The McIntire–Stennis Act – 1962
- The Research Facilities Act – 1965
- Public Law 89-106 – 1965
- The National Sea Grant College and Program Act – 1966
- The Rural Development Act – 1972
- The Food and Agriculture Act – 1977
- The National Agricultural Research Extension and Teaching Act – Title XIV – 1977
- The Resource Extension Act – 1978
- Amendment to Title XIV – 1981
- The Agriculture and Food Act – 1981
- Amendment to Title XIV of Food Security Act – 1985
- Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act – 1994; extended land-grant status to Tribal colleges and universitiesTribal colleges and universitiesTribal colleges and universities are a category of higher education, minority-serving institutions in the United States. The educational institutions are distinguished by being controlled and operated by Native American tribes; they have become part of American Indians' institution-building in...
See also
- List of land-grant universities
- Association of Public and Land-grant UniversitiesAssociation of Public and Land-Grant UniversitiesThe Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is an American voluntary, non-profit association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems. It has member campuses in all 50 states and the U.S. territories...
- Sea Grant CollegesSea grant collegesThe National Sea Grant College Program is a program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce...
- Space Grant CollegesSpace grant collegesThe space-grant colleges compose a network of 52 consortia, based at universities across the United States, for outer space-related research. Each consortium is based in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico and consists of multiple independent institutions, with one of the...
- Sun Grant CollegesSun grant collegesThe Sun Grant Association is a group of five U.S. universities that serve as regional centers of the Sun Grant Initiative, established by the U.S. Congress in the Sun Grant Research Initiative Act of 2003. They research and develop sustainable and environmentally friendly bio-based energy...
- State universityState universityIn the United States, a state college or state university is one of the public colleges or universities funded by or associated with the state government. In some cases, these institutions of higher learning are part of a state university system, while in other cases they are not. Several U.S....