Historians of higher education generally agree on a handful of ideas about the early years of the land-grant colleges that grew out of the Morrill Act of 1862. For their first three decades, the land-grant colleges struggled to survive: lacking students, funding, and public favor. Charged, by the Morrill Act, to promote "the liberal and…

Many issues facing modern Catholic colleges and universities -- such as how to differentiate their curriculum from that of secular institutions, how to incorporate a Catholic perspective into professional education, and how to maintain a Catholic identity with a diverse student body -- are as old as the universities themselves. This article…

Historically Black colleges and universities are a unique institutional cohort in American higher education. These colleges have been celebrated for their achievements and critiqued for their composition at differing points during their collective history. This article addresses contemporary ebbs and flows of their relevance and reputation in the…

"Research Universities and the Future of America" presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation's research universities contribute strongly to America's prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation's research universities today confront significant financial…

President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-grant Act in 1862, launching a nationwide project in public higher education that would build democracy, prosperity, and competitiveness to levels undreamed of 150 years ago. As student costs skyrocket, driven by steep drops in public funding, the viability of that project, like the nation itself, is under…

This document provides an overview and history of the land-grant system, as well as copies of the original and amended legislation affecting the land-grant colleges. Land-grant colleges or universities have been designated by their state legislatures or Congress to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862, 1890 and 1994. The original…

Based on a review of primary and secondary sources, this article discusses the contexts, circumstances, people, and legislation that affected the origins and evolution of land-grant universities. Poses questions for the future, including whether land-grant universities are losing their historic commitment to their mission and becoming elitist.…

Historically, America's land-grant universities offered non-elites access to higher education while developing and disseminating new, practical knowledge (particularly agricultural science). In the late twentieth century, the historic land-grant mission was eclipsed by other institutional concerns. Efforts now are under way around the country to…

This investigation traces the history of change in public higher education as it relates to its third mission, from the traditional service to the contemporary engagement. The article begins with the emergence of U.S. higher education institutions in the 1600s and documents the changes era by era to the present. In each era, higher education's…

Community colleges have always been strongly tied to their local communities, and arose out of an egalitarian approach to higher education. The Morrill Act of 1862 created the American land grant universities, with an emphasis on practical education in agriculture and technical fields. In addition, a number of private two-year "junior…

A review of the evolution and characteristics of the emerging land grant institutions during the period from the passing of the Morrill Act in 1862 until about 1890 refutes some popular misconceptions about these institutions. Land grant institutions added new subjects to the curriculum, provided higher education for the "industrial…