THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL 

 COLLEGE 1 



IN 1862, when the nation was struggling with the most 

 gigantic rebellion the world has ever seen, Congress, with 

 a wise foresight seldom equaled, and a reversal of the old 

 motto, "In time of peace prepare for war," calmly turned 

 from the perplexing questions of the conflict and con- 

 sidered and passed an act donating to the "several states 

 and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit 

 of agriculture and the mechanic arts, " public lands equal- 

 ing in amount thirty thousand acres for each senator and 

 representative then in Congress. In return for this dona- 

 tion it stipulated two things: first, that the income of the 

 fund derived from the sale of those lands should be held 

 inviolably for purposes of instruction; and, second, that 

 military instruction should be given, for which a regular 

 army officer would be detailed by the United States govern- 

 ment. Under the provisions of this endowment fifty-two 

 colleges and schools have been established, either as inde- 

 pendent organizations or as colleges of universities al- 

 ready existing, with a teaching force of about 900, and an 

 attendance of some 15,000 students. 



Let it be clearly understood at the outset that these 

 are not exclusively agricultural colleges, but institutions 

 designed for the benefit of the industrial classes. "With- 

 out excluding any studies recognized as forming part of 



1 Reprinted from the New England Magazine, by permission of the 

 publishers. 



