History Of The Alabama Cooperative Extension System
A common perception is that the birth of Cooperative Extension followed passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided federal funds to land-grant universities to support Extension work. In a formal sense, this is true. Even so, the roots of Cooperative Extension extend as far back as the late 18th century, following the American Revolution, when affluent farmers first began organizing groups to sponsor educational meetings to disseminate useful farming information. In some cases, these lectures even were delivered by university professors — a practice that foreshadowed Cooperative Extension work more than a century later.
These efforts became more formalized over time. By the 1850s, for example, many schools and colleges had begun holding farmer institutes — public meetings where lecturers discussed new farming insights.
Read more about History Of The Alabama Cooperative Extension System: The Morrill Land-Grant College Act of 1862, The Second Morrill Act of 1890, The Huntsville Normal School (later Alabama A&M University), Limitations of The Morrill Act, The Hatch Experiment Station Act of 1887, Seaman Knapp, Tuskegee Institute, Jesup Wagons, The Beginning of Formal Cooperative Extension Work in Alabama, Corn and Tomato Clubs, Passage of The Smith-Lever Act of 1914, Farm Demonstration, Woman’s Work, Junior Extension, Specialist Work, Movable Schools, Mass Media, An Emerging Pattern of Alabama Extension Work, Tuskegee's Role Under The Smith-Lever Act, Historical Panorama of Alabama Agriculture
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