| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered Penn
State in 1855 for the purpose bringing modern
science to bear in making agriculture more productive
and efficient. In 1863, the General Assembly
designated Penn State the Commonwealth's sole
land-grant institution. Penn State steadily
expanded its academic programs and also pledged
to disseminate the benefits gained through research
and instruction. Today that takes the form of
hundreds of outreach programs that touch millions
of people each year throughout Pennsylvania
and around the world.
In honor of the University's ongoing contributions
to the Commonwealth and in recognition of Penn
State's upcoming sesquicentennial celebration,
Rep. Lynn Herman (R-State College), Rep. Kerry
Benninghoff (R-Centre) and Sen. Jake Corman
(R-Centre) proposed resolutions celebrating
Penn State's designation as Pennsylvania's singular
land-grant university earlier this spring. Senate
Resolution 209 and House Resolution 600 passed
unanimously on March 29. A press conference
and reception were held in Harrisburg that day
to celebrate the University's land-grant designation.
What
They Said
-
"Our purpose for introducing
and supporting this resolution is to recognize
the importance and the contributions of Penn
State to the Commonwealth. This resolution
is a show of support for the University's
combined mission of teaching, research and
service and to acknowledge the economic benefits
associated with that mission."
-
—Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre)
-
"We are grateful that
the legislature recognizes the important role
the University has played in Pennsylvania.
Since its inception, Penn State has been committed
to making a high-quality college education
available to Pennsylvanians and to disseminating
the benefits gained through research to the
citizens and industries of the Commonwealth.
By all indications, the University is excelling
at that mission."
—Graham B. Spanier,
president
-
"In its 150 years, Penn
State has never strayed from its founding
principles and its role as the Commonwealth's
singular land-grant institution. The University
takes its unique responsibility for outreach
and public service to support the citizens
of Pennsylvania very seriously and is committed
to improving the lives of the people of Pennsylvania,
the nation and the world."
—Rep. Lynn Herman (R-State
College)
A
GRAND BEGINNING—Cooperative Extension became
the single federal agency having a direct educational
link with rural America.
-
-
-
|
A
KEY COMPONENT
Cooperative Extension is a key component
of the largest educational delivery system
in the world, the land-grant university
system. In the early 1900s, extension work
began to flourish after Congress passed
the Smith-Lever Act, which provided for
mutual cooperation between the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and land-grant colleges in
conducting extension work. It specified
that the work "shall consist of instruction
and practical demonstration in agriculture
and home economics to persons not attending
or resident in said colleges in the several
communities, and imparting to such persons
information on said subjects through field
demonstrations, publications and otherwise
..."
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
