Issue 37, Spring 2025

Bridging Science and the Sea through Mississippi State University’s Extension Service

The History of MSU’s Extension Service

Beginning in an era when dissent was common among Americans, “Extension”began to solidify its foundation by bridging gaps between science and stakeholders. Signed in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln, the Morrill Act set aside millions of acres of federal land to create colleges that would “benefit the agricultural and mechanical arts.” Each state was granted 30,000 acres of land to be distributed by senators and representatives, and the land or its proceeds were to fund educational institutions. While some states declined this opportunity, many of today’s prominent universities, including the University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University, and eventually Mississippi State University, were founded as land-grant institutions.

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