Purdue University. Agricultural Extension Service
Dates
- Existence: 1869-
Historical Information
In the 1880s Purdue University started interesting experimental work in agriculture. Valuable information on crop rotation, soil fertility, care of livestock, fruit production and marketing, and other numerous farm related topics were generated from the ongoing research. In 1889, Professor W. C. Latta became a key figure in the enactment of the Farmer’s Institute Act, which legally recognized the work the university had been doing in holding farm schools and ‘moveable’ schools throughout the state.
The first county agents were appointed in 1906, along with the appointment of the first home demonstration agents in 1910. This work in turn led to the Clore Act in 1911, which authorized expansion of extension work, under the direction of the Department of Agriculture Extension. On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Smith-Lever Act which provided for co-operative relations between state and nation to aid in agricultural education. Extension Service became the educational arm of the United States Department of Agriculture. Forty-two states had extension work in some form in 1914 and 929 counties already employed 1,350 extension workers. By mid-June 1918, nationally 2,435 counties had agriculture agents, 1,715 counties had home demonstration agents, and 4-H membership had soared to a half million members.
In 1940 about 55,000 Indiana boys and girls between ten and twenty years of age were enrolled in these groups, which led to great improvements in farm life. More than 2,000,000 persons attended in one year the lectures and demonstrations that the county agents, home demonstration agents and specialists from Purdue conducted. In the 1960s and 1970s additional programs were added, and the Agricultural Extension Service was changed to the Cooperative Extension Service, and agent titles were changed to County Extension Agent. In the 1980s and 1990s, the “farm crisis” redirected extension; Indiana combined 10 areas into 5 districts, positions were downsized in 1987, with a strong emphasis on accountability and collaboration with organizations with similar goals.
Extension continues to take the university to the people and the demonstration method is still in use. Goals remain to empower customers, develop volunteers, build collaborative partnerships, increase the capacity to secure resources, utilize appropriate technologies and communication networks and create a climate for staff to realize their potential. Extension educators with agricultural and natural resource specialties offer programs and information on agricultural production and financial management for farmers, food and fiber processors, manufacturers and consumers.
Citation:
Frederick Whitford, Neal Harmeyer, and David M. Hovde. Enriching the Hoosier Farm Family: A Photo History of Indiana's Early County Extension Agents. Purdue University Press, 2016.Citation:
Cooperative Extension Service. Accessed July 11, 2011. http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/dubois/Documents/4-H%20Adult%20Leaders/CooperativeExtensionServiceHistory.pdfFound in 16 Collections and/or Records:
Annabel Rupel papers, addition 03
Bertha Kate Gaddis diaries
College of Agriculture, Administration of the College of Agriculture records
Administrative books, correspondence, financial records, faculty minutes, reports, and other materials documenting the administration, history, and growth of the College of Agriculture.
College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service records
Correspondence, Financial Records, Letter Books, Letters, and Reports documenting the history, administration, and activities of Agricultural Extension at Purdue University and its precursor, the Farmers’ Institute.
College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service records, addition 01
College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Agricultural Safety and Health, Breaking New Ground Resource Center, Ag
Guidebooks, newsletters, brochures, resource manuals, DVDs, and etc. documenting the service of Purdue’s Breaking New Ground Resource Center and the U.S.D.A.’s Agrbility Program.
College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics records, addition 01
College of Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, records
Correspondence, field notebooks, photo albums, photographs, reports, slides, soil notebooks, and other materials documenting the history, administration, and activities of the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agronomy.
College of Agriculture Extension reports
Annual reports compiled by the Indiana Agricultural Agents and Home Demonstration Agents and beginning in the 1960s, the Cooperative Extension Agents
College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, records
Correspondence, books, reports, and a book manuscript documenting the history of Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics (formally Farm Management).
Roscoe Fraser papers
Scrapbooks, letters, slides, films and news reels, photographs, and printed materials primarily relating to agriculture. Includes information on the Purdue Golden Girl, Purdue farm, livestock, the Indiana State Fair, various crops, the Tomato Festival, and experimental fields. Please see PDF Finding Aid for collection inventory.
Eva Goble papers
This collection contains materials that document the activities of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in the 1950s, as well as the activities of Eva Goble and her contributions to the Purdue University School of Home Economics.