Nova Scotia Agricultural College - History

History

Nova Scotia Agricultural College was officially founded February 14, 1905 by the merger of The School of Agriculture (1885–1905) in Truro and The School of Horticulture (1893–1905) in Wolfville. NSAC was located on the provincial demonstration farm in Truro-Bible Hill, which has grown over the years to a total area of 442 hectares (1,092 acres). It was located along a bluff overlooking the Salmon River.

In the early years the college focused on educating farmers in aspects of field and animal husbandry. These early graduates often went on to pursue a university degree, usually from Macdonald College at McGill University or the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, Ontario.

A World War I memorial was erected in Cumming Hall by fellow students as a list of honour to the memory of former students of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College killed during the First World War.

A disastrous fire in 1946 destroyed the science building and a temporary campus was set up in former World War II military hospitals in Debert. This temporary campus served students until the fall of 1953 when the new science building, now known as the Harlow Institute, was opened on the Truro-Bible Hill campus.

NSAC entered a new era in 1980 after the Nova Scotia government passed legislation authorizing the institution to grant undergraduate B.Sc. (Agr.) degrees. The decision was made by the institution to do this in association with Dalhousie University and the first students graduated with the new degree in 1985. An agreement was also signed with Dalhousie to provide MSc degrees in 1996. NSAC granted its own technology diplomas for the 2-year programs and the institution remained an independent post-secondary research and education facility administered by the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture until September 2012.

The Government of Nova Scotia announced on March 23, 2012 that it had reached an agreement with Dalhousie University that saw the Nova Scotia Agricultural College merge with Dalhousie effective September 1, 2012, becoming that institution's Faculty of Agriculture.

On 14 February 2005 Canada Post issued 'Nova Scotia Agricultural College, 1905-2005' as part of the Canadian Universities series. The stamp was based on a design by Denis L'Allier and a photograph by Guy Lavigueur. The 50¢ stamps are kiss cut and were printed by Lowe-Martin Company Inc.

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