History

The Ohio State University and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences got its start in 1870, when the Ohio General Assembly established the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College.

The new college was made possible through the provisions of the Morrill Act, signed by President Lincoln on July 2, 1862. This legislation revolutionized the nation’s approach to higher education, bringing a college degree within reach of all high school graduates.

The Morrill Act paved the way for the Hatch and Smith-Lever Acts, which created agricultural experiment stations and a cooperative extension service (the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and Ohio State University Extension in Ohio).

Today, our world-class teaching, research, and outreach -- the everyday work of our college -- impacts local, state, national, and global communities. Our goal is to be the standard of excellence for colleges of food, agricultural and environmental sciences.historical pic