The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University was established in 1870 by the Ohio General Assembly when the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College was created. The Morrill Act of 1862, signed on July 2, which President Lincoln signed, made it possible for the new college in Ohio (The Ohio State University and College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences) to happen. Formerly known as the Land-Grant College Act, the Morrill Act responded to the need for industrial reform and "help everyone get a college education." This marked a turning point in U.S. higher education, which was previously reserved for the rich and is now available to high school graduates. The Morrill Act provided funding to the states to establish public colleges that would focus on agriculture and mechanical arts. The Morrill Act paved the way for the Hatch Act of 1887 and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which established cooperative extension services and agricultural experiment stations (including the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University Extension). The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University is dedicated to its Land-Grant University motto of teaching, research, and outreach. Mayo-Wells thought that the new Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College would provide a high-quality education to farmers' children and improve the lives of Ohio farm families and their neighbors. CFAES's research and instructional programs have a tremendous impact on citizens and industries in Ohio, the United States, and worldwide. CFAES is dedicated to setting the standard of excellence for colleges of agricultural, food, and environmental sciences.