Land-Grant University Designation, College of Agriculture Founded

1869

Land-Grant University Designation, College of Agriculture Founded

The original Morrill Hall built on the Hill in 1880 and once home to the president's office. The building was renamed Carrick Hall in 1908 and burned in 1942.

1869

Land-Grant University Designation, College of Agriculture Founded

In 1869, the Tennessee Legislature designated East Tennessee University as the recipient of federal land-grant funds provided by the Morrill Act of 1862. After the Civil War, the legislation was extended to former Confederate states including Tennessee. The Morrill Act helped meet the demands of our industrializing nation by establishing land-grant institutions that provided instruction in agriculture, mechanical arts, and military tactics along with classical curriculums. The Herbert College of Agriculture was also founded in 1869. UT is one of two land-grant institutions in Tennessee. The other is Tennessee State University in Nashville, designated with 18 other historically Black colleges under the Morrill Act of 1890.