The Early History of Iowa State University

Or, How Iowa Creates an Agriculture College 2008

Iowa Becoming a State 1803 Louisiana Purchase 1832 Black Hawk War 1836 Settlers move into Iowa Territory Settlers can vote to become a state

Iowa Becoming a State 1840 Settlers vote NO too expensive 1842 Settlers vote NO again 1844 Settlers vote YES

1844 First Constitutional Convention Settlers proposed state boundaries Congress NO Congress proposes different boundaries Settlers NO Another Congressional Proposal Settlers NO

1846 Second Constitutional Convention Proposed current state boundaries Iowa Electorate and Congress YES Iowa admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846 as 29 th State First Free State of Louisiana Purchase Florida admitted as Slave State

First Iowa General Assembly January, 1848 Iowa City Petitions Congress to establish Agricultural School Fort Atkinson site land available Branch of University started in 1847

Settlement of Iowa 1850s 1850s Many county Agriculture Societies formed 1853 State Agriculture Society Iowa Farmer and Horticulturalist magazine

Settlement of Iowa 1850s Horticulturalist Suel Foster and Agricultural Journalist William D. Wilson lead agitation for: State Agriculture College State Agriculture Bureau (Department)

Settlement of Iowa 1850s 1854 Iowa General Assembly Bill for Agriculture Bureau passes Senate but fails in House 1856 Iowa General Assembly Robert Richardson, House member and young farmer, introduces first bill to create Agricultural College goes nowhere

Settlement of Iowa 1850s 1857 New State Constitution Capitol moves from Iowa City to Des Moines 1858 Seventh Iowa General Assembly Much support for agricultural college from Iowans, Iowa Legislature and Governor Lowe

1858 House Agriculture College Bill Benjamin Gue Scott County farmer agricultural journalist Agriculture College visionary voices argument Gue Richard Richardson, Fayette County provided material Ed Wright, Cedar County Parliamentarian

Title of House Bill A bill for an act to provide for the establishment of a State Agricultural College and model Farm, with a board of trustees, which shall be connected with the entire agricultural interests of the State.

Key Ideas Education for the working class Teach broad subjects A board of trustees with numerous responsibilities

Board Responsibilities Purchase quarter section of land Create professorships Hire a president Hire secretaries Initial appropriation $20,000

Land Measurements A quarter section = 160 acres One section is one square mile = 640 acres One township = 6 miles x 6 miles One county = 16 townships Townships were created in the Federal Land Grant Act of 1775

House Opposition to Bill Too expensive! James Wilson of Jefferson County led opposition Gue, Richardson and Wright go on the offensive Compromise: cut appropriation in half $10,000 Bill passes

Senate Vote on Bill Bill guided by Washington County stockman Charles Foster Attempt to create agricultural professorship at University fails Governor Lowe signs Agriculture College bill March 22, 1858

Request to U.S. Congress Iowa Legislature asks Congress for 50,000 acres of Federal land to support Iowa s new Agricultural College Congress does not act on request

Board of Trustees Preliminary Meeting, January 1859 Iowa Farmers College Board members to acquaint farmers with college W.D. Wilson, elected Board Secretary and Secretary of Agriculture Bureau Richard Gainer, elected Treasurer

Full Meeting, June 1859 Suel Foster elected President pro tem (serves five years) Foster Four professorships: physics, mathematics, zoology, botany Immediate concerns

Where to Locate the College? Hardin, Story, Marshall, Tama, Polk and Jefferson counties submit applications

Story County Proposal County bonds of $10,000 1,000 acres of Story/Boone Co. land donated Board accepts offer on June 21, 1859 Big Story County celebration on July 4 County proposal totals $21,355 Board purchases 648 acres for $5,379.12

1860 Iowa General Assembly Majority wants 1858 Agriculture College Act RESCINDED Outgoing Governor Lowe reports farmpurchase Incoming Governor Kirkwood recommends Careful consideration Benjamin Gue argues for Agriculture College Act

1860 Iowa General Assembly Gue moves to table the rescind motion Rescind motion never brought off table for vote 1858 Agriculture College Act was secure Money needed for college!

Justin Smith Morrill Vermont native born 1810 Modest beginnings Successful farmer U.S. Congressman and U.S. Senator Father of Land Grant Colleges

Key Ideas Democracy: Educated electorate Demography: Existing colleges unable to meet educational needs Existing schools for the rich: Doctors, Teachers, Pastors

Key Ideas Society needed a new form of higher education: Science, agriculture and industry Women, minorities, immigrants Lincoln signs the Morrill Act on July 2, 1862

First Morrill Act Each state who accepts this act agrees to utilize funds to the endowment, support and maintenance of a least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.

Federal Land Grant of 1862 Each state to receive a land grant or land script Apportionment based on 1860 census 30,000 acres for each senator and representative

Federal Land Grant of 1862 States had to maintain capital fund Not more than 10% for site purchase None of funds or interest for infrastructure

Special Session Iowa Legislature Called by Governor Kirkwood for September 1862 Need to act before other states allocated land Iowa Legislature accepts Morrill Land Grant Act September 11, 1862 First state to accept Morrill Land Grant

Peter Melendy Governor appoints Melendy to implement land grant Black Hawk County Ohio native & cattle breeder Organized Iowa Fine Livestock Co. Leading citizen & builder of Cedar Falls

Implementing the Act 1. Identify all Federal land in Iowa (6 million acres) 2. Select the best land for sale or lease (210,000 acres) 3. Sold or leased Iowa s land grants between September 1862 January 1863 Iowa received over 204,000 acres Lease & sale raised $800,000 endowment

Land Grant Land in Iowa 2/3rds of land granted was in Kossuth, Palo Alto and Emmet Counties

Implementing the Act Federal red tape delayed final certification until January 1864 Never a breath of scandal!

1864 Iowa General Assembly Oops! An Obstacle University of Iowa proposes dividing land grant funds with agriculture professors at both schools University trustee: Make Agriculture College division of University

The Response Gue to the rescue! Presents a contrast Land grant function is narrow University motions defeated! Iowa State becomes a Land Grant College March 29, 1864

Name Game 1858 1889 (31 years) Iowa Agriculture College and Model Farm 1889 1959 (70 years) Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts 1959 2009 (50 years and counting) Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Building plans 1864 $20,000 for new building Not to exceed $50,000 Building to be named Main Building Later Old Main

Delays, Delays... Underestimated costs: By 1868 the incomplete building opens Cost: $110,000 Fires in 1900 and 1902 Beardshear Hall built in 1903

Old Main Basement dining, kitchen, laundry 1 st floor chapel, administration, library 2 nd floor classrooms, student rooms 3 rd & 4 th floors student rooms, museum

Organizing a College Need Faculty, including President, and Curriculum Gue and Melendy conduct fact finding mission Sixteen schools and colleges visited Federal departments and Smithsonian visited Meet with Senator Morrill in Sheffield Iowa

Recommendations President, four faculty, two assistants Curriculum to be determined by faculty universal, compulsory... manual labor Steward

Recommendations Admission apportioned among counties Entrance requirements needed Adequate provisions for labs and library National Lectureship series Subverting and perverting influences

Recommendations 1868 Iowa General Assembly accepts citizen s petition prohibiting intoxicating liquors Trustees promptly ban liquor and tobacco at the College

Choosing President/Faculty Gue and Melendy: Faculty selection most critical decision Presidential position hard to fill Recommend Welch for President Served as President 1868 1883

Faculty Norton Townshend George Jones James Geddens William Anthony William Wynn Albert Foote Charles Bessey Hugh Thompson Practical Agriculture Math, Civil Engineering Steward/Military Physics/Mechanics Humanities & Chapel Chemistry Botany Farm Superintendent

College Opens! Inaugural ceremonies held March 17, 1869 1,200 people attend No University of Iowa representatives attend First class: 77 men, 16 women

College Opens! Keynote speakers at Inaugural Benjamin Gue: The Vision Dr. Townshend: Academic Freedom President Welch: Equality for women, Sciences, Wisdom and Justice

Boarding Room Capacity Economic, social, intellectual appeal Low costs Liberal entrance requirements No language requirement to graduate Higher education never so appealing

Next President Welch removed by Board Seaman Knapp acting president, four months One year appointment Dec. 1, 1883 December 5, 1884 Served as Agriculture Dean 1879 85

Seaman Knapp Wrote 1 st draft of Hatch Act Strong advocate of land grants Father of Extension

Land Grant Functions Teaching/Learning Research/Discovery Extension/Engagement 1862 Morrill Act 1887 Hatch Act 1914 Smith Lever Act

Land Grant History

Building the Land Grant Community 1862 European Americans 1890 African Americans 1972 Insular areas 1994 Native Americans 1997 Hispanic

References Earle D. Ross. The Land-Grant Idea at Iowa State College. The Iowa State College Press. Ames, Iowa. 1958 The Land-Grant Tradition. National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Washington, DC. 2000 Land-Grant History Cartoon. Diana Pounds. Ames, Iowa. 1970s

Credits Gerald Klonglan, Ph.D Emeritus Professor of Rural Sociology Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences E mail: geraldk@isunet.net Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology Transfer Communications Service, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences