Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11
Vermont Agricultural College.

sister states, New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts, giving briefly the best showing
we could of their endowments, their work
and their success as measured by public
opinion. OF our own institution we shall,
while trying TO be exact, be more al
length and try to give our readers pretty
full history of the case.
The act of congress of 1862 created
perpetual fund from proceeds.of sales OF
public lands, which was to be divided
among the several states, the interest Of
which "shall be inviolably appropriated
by each state to the endowment and
maintenance of at least one college, where
the leading object shall be, without
excluding other scienti fic and classical
studies, and including military tactics, to
teach such branches of learning as are
related to agriculture and the mechanic
arts, IN such manner as The legislatures OF
The states mag respectively prescribe, in
order to promote the liberal and practical
education of the industrial classes in the
Sereral pursuits and professions in life;"
and states to avail themselves of the bene-
fits of this act must establish such
college within five years from its passage.
This is the exact language of the act,
with our own italics. which show, we
think, where an important and pernicious
error has been generally sown in the
minds of the people 10y calling such
colleges agricultural colleges and, second
ly, as leaving the responsibility for its
management resting too much on the
faculty of the college. On the first point
named above, the mechanic arts stand
rs equal co-heirs with agriculture, and the
master mechanic, the engineer, the car
pcnter and blacksmith and shoemaker
have Just us much rich and privilege in
its benefits, just as much voice in the
arranging of its course of study for Meir
benefit us has the farmer for his. Later
on, the scope and intent of the act is
shown to be still broader, and is meant to
inclGde, as among the industrial classes
who were to reap its benefits, "pr0icSSi0RS
in life"
AS we read and understand this act, the
name Agricultural College is misnomer
and has led many, or perhaps a majority
who have not read the act, to believe it
was designed primarily and mainly to
l,1; ;t1
Industrial College or College of Arts and
Sciences would have been more Indicative
of the true meaning of the act.
Thus much of ends to be secured by the
act, and to whom. The next is the when
and h0W. OF the when, it is conditioned
that the state must establish such college,
within five years of the passage of the act
to receive its benefits, and, that being
established, or in its establishment the
legislatures of the several states are to
prescribe the manner Iof its application,
there being but one arbitrary, positive
condition, that is, that military tactics shall
be included in the course of study. This
brings the matter to our own legislature,
which, in the act of 1862, authorized all
three of our colleges TO unite in ono State
University, which should be charged
with the purposes specified in section of
the act of congress, which we have before
given. This act failed to secure the end
intended from the local jealouses of the
colleges or other reasons which prevent
ed them from uniting as specified in the
act.
In 1864 the general assembly, in strict
compliance with the act of 1852, chartered
the Vermont Agricultural College, and as
the act of congress forbid the using of any
part Of the fund for buildings, it WAS con
ditioned that one hundred thousand dollars
should be raised for its endowment. This
condition was not complied with, and the
charer, by one of its provisions, would fail
on Nov -, 1863, and the fund be lost to
the state. This was only prevented by
the act of Nov. 0, 1867 which Incorporate
ed the Vermont Agricultural College,
chartered in 1864 with the University OF
Vermont, established in 1871; and thus
was constituted our present institution.
Section l of the act provides for the
uniting of the University of Vermont and
the Vermont State Agricultural College,
"wilh such other corporations as may
hereafter become united herewith" in a
" body corporate," which shall have all
rights and powers incident to corporations.
Section 2 provides for the election Of Il
''b0ard of trustees which, with the
governor and the president, who shall be
members eX-ollicio, shall constitute an
entire board Of trustees of The corporation
hereby created" Section 8 defines the
powers of the board of trustees to confer
honors and degrees, TO elect the officers Of
the college, to prescribe their duties, sala.
rics, term of office, to prescribe terms OF
admission, rates of tuition, nl0dcS of STUN
and course Of instruction, etc, etc. Section
gives the trustees right " to use, control.
sell or dispose of all the real estate and
personal property now belonging to the
University of Vermont" Or any Other
institution which shall unite with this
Section is not lengthy, and, as showing
the intent of the act concerning the
courses of study and what is mandatory
on the institution is of enough interest tc
be printed in full
SEC. 5. There shall at all times be
maintained, in the institution hereby ere
ated, such instruction in the various
branches of learning as is contemplated il
the several charters of each of the nstitu
tons hereby united And more particularly
including II four years course of studio.
similar to such as are generally taught in
other colleges, and not inferior to that
recently taught in said University of Yer
mont, and in addition to that which is
usually taught in other colleges, the in.
structions in this institution shall include
such enlarged facilities and extended
scope and variety in the study of those
branches which relate to military tactics
agriculture and the mechanic arts as shall
render the whole instruction in conformity
with said act of CONGRESS- rs we'll nc Will