306 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



History. 



In the year 1862, at the time when the great rebellion was 

 in progress and apparently at its very height, the United 

 States Congress found time to consider and pass a bill, 

 principally under the leadership of Hon. Justin S. Mor- 

 rill, Senator from Vermont, donating public lands to the 

 several States which should provide colleges for the benefit 

 of agriculture and the mechanic arts. The act provided 

 that the amount of land apportioned to the several States 

 should be in proportion to the population, and to be 

 available it must be accepted by the Legislature of each 

 State. It also provided that the land, or land scrip, might 

 be sold and the money invested as a perpetual fund, the 

 capital of which should remain forever undiminished, and 

 the interest inviolably appropriated by each State which 

 might take and claim the benefit of the act, " to the endow- 

 ment, support and maintenance of at least one college, where 

 the leading object should be, without excluding other scien- 

 tific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to 

 teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture 

 and the mechanic arts, in such a 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." 



The act thus passed by Congress was signed and approved 

 by Abraham Lincoln July 2, 1862. It is claimed that 

 Massachusetts was the first to accept it, and also to pass an 

 act of incorporation of the college. This being done, it was 

 approved by John A. Andrew, governor, April 29, 1863. 

 The corporation was organized Nov. 18, 1863, with Gov. 

 John A. Andrew president, Allen W. Dodge vice-president 

 and Charles L. Flint secretary. Trustees were appointed 

 by the Legislature, who were authorized to locate the col- 

 lege. Several sites were viewed in different parts of the 

 State. The towns of Lexington, Springfield, Northampton 

 and Amherst each offered to secure,' by valid subscriptions 

 or otherwise, the sum of $75,000 for the purpose of erecting 

 suitable buildings ; and, after some time taken for deliber- 



