Sunday, September 8, 2019
Michigan agricultural college a dream fullfiled Essay
Michigan agricultural college a dream fullfiled - Essay Example In 1850, the state constitutional convention called for the foundation of an Agricultural School under the provision of Article 13, Section 11 ââ¬â the Morrill Act enacted under Abraham Lincolnââ¬â¢s administration. Interestingly, it was first suggested that this Agricultural School would be part of the University of Michigan. In fact, then-president Henry Tappan lobbied for this school to be built in UMââ¬â¢s own Ann Arbor. However, John C. Holmes of the Michigan State Agricultural Society opposed this, on the ground that the schoolââ¬â¢s students may end up being neglected by UM. Luckily for him, then-Michigan Governor Kingsley S. Bingham saw things his way, mandating a bill commissioning the establishment of what was then called the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. Eleven years later would be a moment in history for the school ââ¬â it saw its first batch of graduates, as well as the Michigan Legislature that allowed it to offer four-year curriculum c ourses and grant degrees on par with more established universities. The beginnings of the Agricultural College were surprisingly humble. Under its first president, Joseph Williams, a member of Harvardââ¬â¢s Phi Beta Kappa in addition to being both an accomplished farmer and attorney, it started out with only three buildings and five professors, as well as a student body of 63. Luckily, Williams made the best of the situation, hiring a host of competent professors in the collegeââ¬â¢s first year. These professors then proceeded to set up sophisticated science laboratories in its College Hall, complete with equipment such as microscopes which were then thought to be state-of-the-art. Needless to say, Michigan Agricultural College flourished under President Williamsââ¬â¢s tenure; even relatively early on in its existence, it boasted a wide array of theoretical and practical academics. The Michigan state legislature passed a bill in 1855, which
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