For over 150 years, Iowa State University has had the privilege to call itself one of the few land grant universities in the United States. While 36,001 students stroll daily to class hearing this title, very few actually understand it's value and the historical impact it had on shaping modern day agriculture.
A land grant university is an institution that benefited from the Morill Acts of 1862. During that time most universities focused on liberal arts education rather than practical sciences. With a need for technological advances and agriculture research, the government decided to allocate federally owned land to the states. The states could choose to farm, sell, or build on that land with the one stipulation being that the funds made off that land had to be used to create institutes that focused on agriculture, science, military, and engineering.
On September 11, 1862 Iowa became the first state to receive this federally owned land, and thus the institute we now know as Iowa State University was conceived. With 30,000 acres to lease to local farmers, our early founders created the Iowa State Agricultural College and Model Farm. Our university was literally built off agriculture and that tradition of excellence within the industry still has not changed in over 150 years.
Our campus has housed some of the most influential agriculturalists in history including George Washington Carver, Herbert H. Kildee, and Charles F. Curtis, and has conducted thousands of research projects that have drastically impacted the agriculture industry for the better. Feeding and clothing the world was the sole purpose of Iowa State in the early years, and it continues to be a strong focus taught in many lecture halls today.
There are only 75 other land grant universities in the U.S., including a couple Big 12 conference rivals (Kansas State, Oklahoma State). However, Iowa State is the only institute to say they were the first. As we go from class to class and pass by Morill, Curtis, Kildee, and Carver Halls we have to thank our agricultural past for allowing us to further our educations.
Whether it's crop science, conservation, extension, or livestock production, Iowa State has built a sesquicentennial long reputation of being one of the best. With a wide array of majors and classes that exceed far beyond the agriculture and engineering colleges today it can be easy to forget our past. However, we must not lose sight of where we came from to ensure we continue to be one of the most reputable, influential, and respectable agriculture and engineering institutes in the world.
A land grant university is an institution that benefited from the Morill Acts of 1862. During that time most universities focused on liberal arts education rather than practical sciences. With a need for technological advances and agriculture research, the government decided to allocate federally owned land to the states. The states could choose to farm, sell, or build on that land with the one stipulation being that the funds made off that land had to be used to create institutes that focused on agriculture, science, military, and engineering.
On September 11, 1862 Iowa became the first state to receive this federally owned land, and thus the institute we now know as Iowa State University was conceived. With 30,000 acres to lease to local farmers, our early founders created the Iowa State Agricultural College and Model Farm. Our university was literally built off agriculture and that tradition of excellence within the industry still has not changed in over 150 years.
Our campus has housed some of the most influential agriculturalists in history including George Washington Carver, Herbert H. Kildee, and Charles F. Curtis, and has conducted thousands of research projects that have drastically impacted the agriculture industry for the better. Feeding and clothing the world was the sole purpose of Iowa State in the early years, and it continues to be a strong focus taught in many lecture halls today.
There are only 75 other land grant universities in the U.S., including a couple Big 12 conference rivals (Kansas State, Oklahoma State). However, Iowa State is the only institute to say they were the first. As we go from class to class and pass by Morill, Curtis, Kildee, and Carver Halls we have to thank our agricultural past for allowing us to further our educations.
Whether it's crop science, conservation, extension, or livestock production, Iowa State has built a sesquicentennial long reputation of being one of the best. With a wide array of majors and classes that exceed far beyond the agriculture and engineering colleges today it can be easy to forget our past. However, we must not lose sight of where we came from to ensure we continue to be one of the most reputable, influential, and respectable agriculture and engineering institutes in the world.