X. 



HISTORY. 



The history of Cornell University begins with the so- 

 called Morrill Grant of 1862. In that year, the Hon. 

 Justin S. Morrill, United States Senator from Vermont, 

 introduced into Congress, and secured the passage of a 

 bill granting to each State thirty thousand acres of the 

 public lands for each Senator and Representative in 

 Congress. The object of the act was plainly expressed 

 in the words, "the endowment, support and mainte- 

 nance of at least one college where the leading object 

 shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical 

 studies, and including military tactics, to teach such 

 branches of learning as are related to agriculture and 

 the mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of 

 the States may respectively prescribe, in order to pro- 

 mote the liberal and practical education of the industrial 

 classes in the several pursuits and professions of life. 

 Under this law, New York received land scrip repre- 

 senting 990,000 acres of land. On certain easy condi- 

 tions this entire grant was, in May, 1863, transferred by 

 the Legislature of the State of New York to the People's 

 College at Havana, N. Y. This action had not been 

 taken without a good deal of opposition, for the various 

 colleges throughout the State wanted the grant divided, 

 the State Agricultural College at Ovid pushing its 

 claims with especial vigor. 



