Morrill Act Celebrates Its 150th Anniversary

Morrill Act Celebrates Its 150th Anniversary
I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report.

During one of the most tumultuous times in our nation’s history, The Civil War, the Morrill Act was passed and signed into law. More than a century later, those universities remain vital for teaching, research and extension of agriculture and other information to the public.

Dr. Dan Bernadro, Washington State University’s Vice President of Agriculture and Extension and Dean of College of Ag, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, shares more about this historic law.

Bernadro: “So in 1862, in the height of the Civil War, Morrill introduced this piece of legislation and it was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln. I like to think about this story because we often think we are under great strife and we can’t do things that are bold and enduring and what better example of something that was bold and enduring in the greatest crisis we ever faced. Those folks put together the enabling legislation for really the greatest public higher education system in the history of mankind. It is a phenomenal visionary piece of legislation.”

There are currently 106 land-grant universities, including at least one in every state. Today, land-grant institutions award about a third of all bachelor's degrees and 60 percent of doctorates in the U.S.

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.