2014 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Centennial Celebration 100 years of service & Dedicated Volunteers Wow! Can you believe it? Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, part of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Program is 100 years old. That’s 100 years of helping our clientele with real life issues. That’s 100 years of working side by side with you, our Extension volunteers. This evening is a tribute to you – our Extension volunteers of Fort Bend County.

Go West Young Men & Women Settlers began moving west of the Mississippi River by wagon-train to explore vast new lands and to take advantage of land grants offered by the federal government.

1870 1880 Soon after, rail-lines brought more settlers to all parts of the “west” like never before. 1890

The Structure of the Land Grant University System Morrill Act - 1862, 1890 Hatch Act - 1887 Land Grant University System TEACHING RESEARCH This is just a picture to help drive home the message of the three pieces of the Land-Grant System, so everyone can see the connection. The Land-Grant System consist of 3 parts: Teaching (established by the Morrill Act of 1862, amended in 1890 and again in 1990), Research (established by the Hatch Act of 1887); and Extension (established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914). EXTENSION Smith–Lever Act - 1914

Beginning of the Land Grant University System The Morrill Act of 1862, 1890, 1990 Sen. Justin S. Morrill (R-Vt) Beginning of the Land Grant University System Senator Justin Smith Morrill's 1862 Land-Grant Act, followed by the second Act in 1890, allocated the funds from the sale of federal lands to support new Land-Grant colleges and universities that taught agriculture, business, engineering, mechanics and home economics. Today the 105 Land-Grant colleges and universities have over 25 million graduates worldwide. With the influx of easterners, farming and ranching became a necessity within the new frontier. Survival depended on begin able to produce enough food for a family and livestock each and every year. With that necessity in mind, President Lincoln signed into law on July 2, 1862 the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 which establishes land-grant universities to teach to teach “branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts.”

Our Legacy Begins President Abraham Lincoln said, at the signing of the Morrill Act, which established the Land Grant University System - “The Land grant university system is being built on behalf of the people, who have invested in these public universities their hopes, their support and their confidence.”

Hatch Act of 1887 Established by US Congressmen William H. Hatch (D-Mo.), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee $15,000 to each Land Grant University to create experiment stations to test various Ag-related concepts. Signed by President Grover Cleveland, 22nd President of the United States The Hatch Act of 1887 essentially formed the Research Stations as part of the Land Grant System which eventually gave rise to CREES (Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service)

then came…. Seaman A. Knapp “The Father of Cooperative Extension” Teacher, Professor Farmer College president Director of La. Farm Colonization efforts First demonstration in Kauffman Co. TX. Instrumental in forming the Smith-Lever Act Chronology: 1833 Born in Schroon, Essex County, NY 1856 Graduated from Union College, Schenectady, NY 1856 - 1866 Taught School in New York and Vermont 1866 Moved to Iowa to Farm Corn and Raise Pigs 1869 - 1875 Superintendent for the Iowa College for the Blind 1876 - 1879 Editor of Western Stock Holders and Farmer’s Journal 1879 - 1883 Professor of Agriculture, Iowa State College 1884 - 1885 College President, Iowa State College 1885 - 1903 Director of Colonization Effort in Louisiana 1904 Established first Demonstration in Kaufman County, TX 1904 - 1911 National Demonstration Leader April 1911 Died Major Accomplishments: Developed a school for girls (Ripley Female School), around 1860 Established agriculture demonstration through federal funding, early 1880's Helped author the Experiment Station Act, 1882 Heavily involved directly and indirectly in the Hatch Act of 1887 Provided crop demonstration work with rice while in Louisiana, 1885 - 1903 Founded the Southwestern Rice Industry, 1885 - 1903 Assisted in the developed the first county demonstration work, 1903 Organized the “U.S.D.A. Demonstration System”, 1904 Instrumental in the Smith-Lever Act, 1914 (after his death) Instrumental in the Extension Service Administrators Farm Adjustment Act in counties, 1933 (after his death) 1833-1911 “What a man hears, he may doubt. What he sees, he may possibly doubt. What he does himself, he cannot doubt.”

Smith-Lever Act of 1914 (aka: Agriculture Extension Act) But we needed more, having a Land Grant University System and people across the nation in need, was not enough. The people needed more. In order to inform people about current developments in agriculture, home economics, public policy & government, and youth development & leadership - the universities needed a “department” so to speak, with “boots on the ground” to extend new knowledge gained by each land grant system across the nation to “connect” or reach out to each and every American. A cooperative extension of the Land Grant University System was the answer and the vision of both Senator Michael “Hoke” Smith of Georgia and Senator Asbury Lever of South Carolina. Sen. Michael Hoke Smith (D-GA) Sen. Asbury Lever (D-SC)

Signing of the Smith-Lever Act (aka Agriculture Extension Act) On May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Smith-Lever Act that established the Cooperative Extension program and called it “one of the most significant and far-reaching measures for the education of adults ever adopted by any government.” And, 100 years later we are still as relevant as in the beginning.

Centennial Proclamation signed May 27, 2014 In honor of our 100 years in Fort Bend County and across the State of Texas, a Centennial Proclamation that recognized the relationship between Cooperative Extension (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service) and County Commissioners’ courts across Texas was signed on May 27, 2014 by Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert and presented to the Fort Bend County staff.

Today: June 20, 2014…… We are here to honor: 100 years of Cooperative Extension work You, our very valuable volunteers So, here we are today to celebrate 100 years of Cooperative Extension Work. And, to honor you, our dedicated volunteers who help us strive to achieve our Extension Mission and Vision by extending our efforts to all parts of this county and the state of Texas as a whole.

Who You Are – the Volunteers of FBC Farm Bureau: Supported the salary of the first “county agent” in Fort Bend County & many counties. Texas Extension Education Association (Extension Home Makers, Home Demonstration Agents): supported/promoted family life. Program Area Committees: Ag/Hort Advisory Group Bee PAC Beef/Forage PAC Crops PAC Family & Consumer Science PAC Pecan/Citrus PAC Our volunteers include Farm Bureau, TEEA, numerous program area committees, task forces, master volunteers and the Leadership Advisory Board of Fort Bend County.

Managers: Task Forces: Master Volunteers: BLT Task Force Horse Task Force Partners for Parenting TF Pesticide TF Rice Task Force Managers: 4-H Club Managers 4-H Project Managers & Project Leaders Master Volunteers: Coastal Prairie Master Naturalist Fort Bend Master Gardeners Master Wellness Leadership Advisory Board: At-large focuses on the issues important to the citizens of Fort Bend County. And, the episodic volunteers (collaborators) Our volunteers include Farm Bureau, TEEA, numerous program area committees, task forces, master volunteers and the Leadership Advisory Board of Fort Bend County.

Thank You! …For Being a Part! A Part of the 100 Year-old relationship with AgriLife Extension Service Extend services to clientele Effective spokespersons to the community Effective spokespersons to stakeholders Bring organization perspective to program Concentrate their time and effort on specific subject matter / program / job For guiding us And, a part of helping to make Fort Bend a truly wonderful place to live for all! Thank You for all you do with us for the past 100 years.

Value of Volunteers Old Chinese Proverb - “Behind every able man there are always other able men” That’s YOU! THANK YOU! Yes, our Extension Volunteers are valuable – very valuable