CNAS is celebrating 50 years of land-grant heritage! The designation of the University of Guam as a U.S. land-grant university in 1972 underscored the three-part mission of instruction, research, and service that constitute the foundation of the land-grant idea. Land-grant universities are charged to conduct research, teach the results, and share the benefits with the communities they serve.

 

Image provided by UOG Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC). 

 

The Morrill Act of 1862, signed into law by President Lincoln, established the land-grant system for colleges and universities in the United States. This legislative act gave each state and territory an allotment of at least 30,000 acres of land to create an institution of higher learning focusing on agriculture, science, military science, and engineering. This land-grant law was the initial seed that allowed the University of Guam to become a U.S. land-grant institution.
 
The Hatch Act of 1887 created federal funding for the development of agriculture experiment stations within land-grant colleges, and sparked agricultural research throughout the country. The Smith-Lever Act of 1917 gave birth to the cooperative extension service, whereby agents would bring the benefits of this research to the nation’s farmers and citizens in rural areas. As part of the land-grant system, the University of Guam receives federal funding annually to support research and extension.
 

Image provided by UOG Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC). 

 

A Special Education Amendment in 1972 allotted $3 million federal dollars to the University of Guam in lieu of 30,000 acres as decreed in the Morrill Act of 1862, and accorded the status of land-grant institution to the University. In 2022, we proudly celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this historic occasion.