Lexington Souers

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While many students sit in freshman orientation, the phrase ‘land-grant institution’ may go in one ear and out the other ­— This phrase is heard at many universities, which has popped up because of legislation that aimed to bring higher education to farm kids.

UK was started because of the Morrill Act of 1862, in which Vermont Senator Justin Morrill proposed legislation that would make higher education available to the public.

“Originally, the federal land grant money for Kentucky went to ‘Kentucky University’ — an interesting hybrid of what we know as Transylvania University,” said education professor John Thelin. “Over time the land grant designation was shifted to Kentucky State College, which eventually became the University of Kentucky.”

Thelin, a specialist in the history of higher education, said civil engineering and ROTC were the first dominant programs at UK, but eventually the College of Agriculture became the major financial beneficiary. Military training and ROTC were so important that until about 1970 most land-grant institutions required male students to enroll in at least two years of ROTC.

UK isn’t the state’s only land-grant institution. In a time when segregation was prominent, the second Morrill Act of 1890 designated funds for predominantly black colleges to be established.

“I think 16 states had separate black land-grant institutions ranging from Delaware to Texas and in between,” Thelin said. “The best example close at hand is Kentucky State University in Frankfort.”

According to history professor David Hamilton, Morrill also wanted schools to teach liberal arts. Hamilton also said land-grant schools were originally for farmer’s children and have carried on the tradition of accepting all social classes.

“Land-grant schools often feel that they have a special or unique mission for public service, and they refer to the idea of the “land-grant mission,” Hamilton said.

With this mission, UK faces some unique challenges, especially because it is both a land-grant and flagship institution.

“The challenge has always been to what extent should UK (and other land-grants) focus on agriculture and engineering as opposed to emerging as broad-based institutions,” Hamilton said. “To what extent should they devote themselves to public outreach and how?”

According to Thelin, it is challenges like this that require the UK administration to be innovative and focused on fulfilling the original focuses of the Morrill Acts.

“It implies a mission of service to the state,” Thelin said.

Nancy Cox, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said that the heart of being a land-grant organization is in the college of agriculture.

What makes the college unique, according to Cox, is that it has not only benefitted form the Morrill Act, but also the Hatch Act of 1887, which provided funding for research, and the Smith­-Lever Act of 1914, which created county extension offices.

“Its really a three part mission,” Cox said. “Students may have a professor who has expertise in teaching, research and/or extension. It allows them to have a link to the real world.”

Cox said that many undergraduates in the college know they want to work with extension offices. Students can also go on to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which monitors the UK’s programs and partners to make sure the work done at the university impacts the state at large. The college also receives federal funding.

“Basic federal funding allows us to invest in research and infrastructure,” Cox said.

According to Cox, this research isn’t just limited to UK’s campus. The college has farm facilities throughout Lexington, as well as Woodford and Caldwell counties.

“We’re interested in making sure we serve all the citizens in Kentucky,” Cox said. “We’re proud of our relationships. Our college is a part of a really stronger network.”