WHEREAS, Recognition of this prestigious milestone is a | 6 |
fitting tribute to the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, for it has held an | 7 |
important place in American history. The Morrill Act of 1862 was | 8 |
instrumental in the creation of public and land-grant colleges and | 9 |
universities, and in 1914, Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia and | 10 |
Representative A.F. Lever of South Carolina introduced legislation | 11 |
that established and partially funded a national cooperative | 12 |
extension system to expand the vocational, agricultural, and home | 13 |
economics programs offered to rural America through these | 14 |
colleges. Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, | 15 |
1914, the Smith-Lever Act was later amended to include schools | 16 |
beyond the original land-grant institutions and the tribal | 17 |
colleges of Native Americans, and its Centennial is being | 18 |
celebrated with activities at the national, state, and local | 19 |
levels; and | 20 |
WHEREAS, The State of Ohio has benefited greatly from the | 21 |
Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Founded in 1870, The Ohio State | 22 |
University is Ohio's land-grant institution of higher learning, | 23 |
and the act has helped the OSU Extension bring education, | 24 |
information, and training to people in agriculture-related fields | 25 |
in our state and nation; and | 26 |
WHEREAS, The spirit of our nation is founded upon, and | 27 |
reflected in, its exciting and colorful past, and the | 28 |
memorializing of significant landmarks and events is vital to the | 29 |
preservation of America's heritage. All those involved with the | 30 |
observance of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act | 31 |
of 1914 are to be applauded for their tremendous efforts to ensure | 32 |
that the important details of our past are transmitted to | 33 |
succeeding generations for their reflection and appreciation; | 34 |
therefore be it | 35 |