III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 502 

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First Morrill Act. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2012 

Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. ROBERTS, 

Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. 

MORAN, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. STABENOW, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. NELSON of 

Florida, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, 

Mr. SCHUMER, and Mr. PRYOR) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First 

Morrill Act. 

Whereas July 2, 2012, marks the sesquicentennial of the 

signing of the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as 

the ‘‘First Morrill Act’’; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), which 

granted public lands to States and territories to support 

colleges in promoting education as a means of economic 

advancement and intellectual pursuit; 

Whereas the genesis of the national focus on public higher 

education in the United States is attributed to the establishment of the land-grant institutions under the First 

Morrill Act; 


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Whereas United States Representative Justin Morrill of 

Strafford, Vermont, inspired by his own lack of a formal 

education, authored the legislation that would become the 

First Morrill Act to provide an ‘‘opportunity in every 

State for a liberal and larger education to larger numbers, not merely to those destined to sedentary professions, but to those needing higher instruction for the 

world’s business, for the industrial pursuits and professions of life’’; 

Whereas the 37th Congress sought to energize the vital intellectual resources of the United States by enacting legislation to make higher education accessible to the public 

and thereby apply those intellectual resources to stimulate the national economy, which at the time was based 

in agriculture and the mechanical arts; 

Whereas, in the midst of the Civil War and domestic strife, 

President Abraham Lincoln supported, encouraged, and 

signed into law the First Morrill Act, which encompassed 

ideals that united the North and the South; 

Whereas the First Morrill Act opened the doors of colleges 

and universities to all people with the ability and will to 

learn, irrespective of heredity, occupation, or economic 

status; 

Whereas the United States leads the world in the quality of 

its public universities and has provided extraordinary opportunities for higher education to the people of the 

United States, thus enriching each State and the country 

as a whole; 

Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research 

universities of the United States remain committed to 

providing accessible higher education and supporting 


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learning, discovery, and engagement in the interest of the 

country; 

Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research 

universities of the United States conduct research and 

education in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 

6 territories of the United States, and disseminate the results of those efforts throughout the country and the 

world, seeking solutions to economic, social, and physical 

challenges and enriching the cultural life of the people of 

the world; 

Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research 

universities of the United States educate more than 

5,000,000 students and award nearly 1,000,000 degrees 

annually, serving as the single largest source of trained 

and educated workers in the United States; 

Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research 

universities of the United States award 200,000 degrees 

in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘STEM’’) annually, including more than half of the advanced degrees in STEM 

awarded annually in the United States; 

Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research 

universities of the United States perform more than 

$37,000,000,000 worth of research annually and impart 

the discoveries from that research locally, regionally, nationally, and globally for the betterment of their communities, the country, and the world; 

Whereas the Smithsonian Institute is marking the sesquicentennial of the signing of the First Morrill Act at the 

annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall during the 


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summer of 2012, with displays and presentations by 

many land-grant institutions; and 

Whereas many States are celebrating the sesquicentennial of 

the signing of the First Morrill Act with resolutions and 

proclamations, and many land-grant institutions are also 

commemorating the signing of the historic legislation: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) celebrates the 150th anniversary of the 

3 signing of the First Morrill Act by President Abra4 ham Lincoln; 

5 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

6 to observe and celebrate the 150th anniversary of 

7 the signing of the First Morrill Act; 

8 (3) affirms the continuing importance and vital9 ity of the land-grant institutions, which are the 

10 fruitful product of the extraordinary commitment to 

11 higher education in the United States that the First 

12 Morrill Act represents; and 

13 (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

14 the Senate transmit to the Association of Public and 

15 Land-grant Universities an enrolled copy of this res16 olution for appropriate display. 

Æ 


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