Maine’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Maine
https://umaine.edu @UMaine
In 1865, the Maine legislature established the Maine State College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. The school opened in 1868, and subsequently changed its name to the University of Maine in 1897. In 1968, the school was renamed the University of Maine at Orono when the University of Maine system was established. The name was changed back to the University of Maine in 1986.
President: Joan Ferrini-Mundy became the president of the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias in 2018. Prior to this position, she was the chief operating officer of the National Science Foundation. President Ferrini-Mundy has an extensive land-grant pedigree, having received bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from the land-grant institution University of New Hampshire. Also, she was a faculty member at the land-grant institution Michigan State University. @JFerriniMundy
Maryland’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Maryland
https://umd.edu UofMaryland
Established in 1856 as the Maryland Agricultural College, the school admitted its first students in 1859. The school became a land grant college in 1864; however, financial problems combined with significant enrollment declines sent the school into bankruptcy. The campus subsequently was used as a boys preparatory school until 1867, when the school reopened. The state took control of the school in 1916 and renamed it Maryland State College. In 1920, the college became part of the existing University of Maryland, replacing St. John’s College, Annapolis as the University’s undergraduate campus. When the state higher education system was restructured in 1988, the school was renamed University of Maryland, College Park. In 1997, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation allowing the school to be known simply as the University of Maryland.
President: Wallace D. Loh became the president of the University of Maryland in 2010. A native of China, he moved with his family to Peru before immigrating to the United States after high school. President Loh has some land-grant experience in his educational background, having received a master’s degree from the land-grant institution Cornell University. @presidentloh
Massachusetts’ 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
https://www.umass.edu @UMassAmherst
The university was founded in 1863 as the Massachusetts Agricultural College (MIT also was designated a land-grant institution of the state of Massachusetts that same year), and in 1867 it admitted its first class of students. The school was renamed Massachusetts State College in 1931, and its name was again changed to the University of Massachusetts in 1947. In 2003, the Massachusetts State Legislature designated UMass Amherst as the flagship campus of the UMass system that also includes campuses in Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, Springfield, and its medical school in Worcester.
Chancellor: Kumble R. Subbaswamy became the chancellor of UMass Amherst in 2012. In terms of his land-grant background, President Subbaswamy previously served as provost at the land-grant institution of the University of Kentucky. He also was a post-doctoral fellow in the land-grant system of the University of California. @ KSubbaswamy
Massachusetts’ 1862 Land-Grant Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
http://www.mit.edu @MIT
A charter for the incorporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was signed by the governor of Massachusetts on April 10, 1861. In 1863, it was named (along with the Massachusetts Agricultural College) a land-grant institution of the state of Massachusetts. Proceeds from land sales went toward new buildings in the Back Bay while its first classes were held in the Mercantile Building in Boston in 1865. MIT informally was known as “Boston Tech” throughout much of its early existence, and its proximity to Harvard fostered several (failed) attempts to merge the two schools.
President: L. Rafael Reif has served as the president of MIT since 2012. Previously, he also served as provost of this school, and he also was a professor in the electrical engineering and computer science department.
Michigan’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: Michigan State University
https://msu.edu @michiganstateu
The first agriculture college in America, known as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, was established in 1855, and classes were first held in 1857. In 1861, the school was renamed the State Agricultural College, and then was designated as the state’s land-grant institution in 1863. In 1909, the school was again renamed the Michigan Agricultural College, and again was renamed in 1925 as the Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. In its centennial year of 1955, the school was renamed Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science. In 1964, the words “Agriculture and Applied Science” were dropped from its name and the school became known as Michigan State University.
President: John Engler was named the interim president of Michigan State University in 2018. He is the former governor of the State of Michigan, as well as having served in the Michigan Legislature as both a state senator and state representative. President Engler is an alumnus of Michigan State, having earned both a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a law degree.
Michigan’s 1994 Land-Grant Institutions: Bay Mills Community College, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Bay Mills Community College
http://www.bmcc.edu @BayMillsCollege
Founded in 1981, Bay Mills Community College was Michigan’s first accredited Tribal College located on a reservation. It was designated a land-grant institution in 1994. It serves both the Anishinaabek and Sault Ste. Marie bands of the Ojibwe.
President: Michael C. (Mickey) Parish has been the president of BMCC since 2002. He has served the Native American population of Michigan since 1971, including as a tribal and child welfare attorney and as Executive Director of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan.
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College was chartered in 1975 by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The College was founded with the understanding that American Indian students, as members of sovereign nations, deserved an educational system responsive to their needs and concerns. This school primarily serves the L’Anse Indian Reservation and surrounding communities.
President: Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College is currently seeking a new president. Former president Debra J. Parrish resigned at the end of January 2018 after almost 30 years in that position.
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College was founded in 1998 when the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council adopted a resolution establishing a tribally controlled college and forming a governing Board of Regents. While the primary focus was to build a bridge between tribal members and higher education, the college was chartered as a public institution for all people in the community.
President: Carla Sineway is the president of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College.
Minnesota’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Minnesota
https://twin-cities.umn.edu @UMNews
The University of Minnesota was founded as a preparatory school in 1851. However, financial problems forced the school to close during the American Civil War. The school reopened in 1867 as the land-grant institution of the state of Minnesota. The campus currently is located both in Minneapolis and in St. Paul, the latter campus of which houses most of its agricultural programs.
President: Eric Kaler became the president of the University of Minnesota in 2011. He has announced his retirement as of July 2019. President Kaler is an alumnus of U of M, having received his doctorate in chemical engineering in 1982. His land-grant pedigree also included a stint as dean of the college of engineering at the land-grant institution the University of Delaware. @PrezKaler
Minnesota’s 1994 Land-Grant Institutions: Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, Leech Lake Tribal College, White Earth Tribal and Community College
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College
The Minnesota Legislature created Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) in 1987, and the Fond du Lac Reservation chartered the school in the same year.
President: Following the June 2018 retirement of President Larry Anderson, Stephanie Hammitt was appointed interim president of the college. She has served FDLTCC for 27 years, most recently as its vice president of Finance and Administration. Her land-grant credentials include a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.
Leech Lake Tribal College
http://www.lltc.edu @LLTribalCollege
The Leech Lake Tribal Council established Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) in 1990. For its first two years, courses were offered on campus from the land-grant institution of the University of Minnesota and other local colleges and universities. In 1992, LLTC began offering its own courses leading toward the completion of Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees. In 1994, LLTC was accorded status as a land-grant institution.
President: Raymond Burns became the president of Leech Lake Tribal College in 2018. Previously, he served as the president of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College in Wisconsin, another 1994 tribal land-grant institution.
White Earth Tribal and Community College
The White Earth Tribal Council established the White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC) in 1997. The WETCC was designed to support the self-determination of the Anishinaabe people through the preservation and promotion of their history, culture, and language.
President: Tracy Clark currently is serving as the interim president of WETCC, having been appointed to that position in 2017. She is serving as part of an agreement between the White Earth Tribal and Community College Council of Trustees and Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she held the position of associate professor of social work. President Clark was born and raised on the White Earth Reservation, and had previously served as a member of the council of trustees board of that college.
Mississippi’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: Mississippi State University
https://www.msstate.edu @msstate
Founded in 1878 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi. In 1932, the state legislature renamed the university as Mississippi State College. In 1958, the school was renamed again as Mississippi State University in recognition of its academic development and addition of graduate programs.
President: Mark E. Keenum became the president of Mississippi State University in 2009. President Keenum is a native of Mississippi, and is an alum of Mississippi State, having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. He also began his career at MSU as a faculty member with the Extension Service and the Department of Agricultural Economics.
Mississippi’s 1890 Land-Grant Institution: Alcorn State University
https://www.alcorn.edu @AlcornStateU
Founded on the site of the former Oakland College, a school for white students established by the Presbyterian Church that had closed during the American Civil War. When the college failed to reopen, its property was sold to the state of Mississippi. In 1871, the school was reopened as Alcorn University, the nation’s first land-grant college for black students in the country. In 1878, the school was renamed Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1974, the school was renamed again as Alcorn State University.
President: Donzell Lee was appointed interim president of Alcorn State University in 2018 following the appointment of Alfred Rankins Jr. as the state of Mississippi’s commissioner of higher education. Dr. Lee previously served as the Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Alcorn State, where he also served as a faculty member and department chair. Dr. Lee’s land-grant credentials also includes a doctoral degree in music from the land-grant institution of Louisiana State University.
Missouri’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Missouri
https://missouri.edu @Mizzou
In 1839, the Missouri Legislature established funds for a state university, the first of its kind west of the Mississippi River. In 1870, the institution received its land-grant status, leading to the founding of the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (today known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology). The University of Missouri System was created in 1963 when the formerly private University of Kansas City (now the University of Missouri-Kansas City) and a newly created campus in St. Louis (University of Missouri-St. Louis) were added. Upon creation of the new system, each university was renamed with its host city, with the university in Columbia becoming the University of Missouri–Columbia. In 2007, the Board of Curators voted to allow MU to drop Columbia from its name for all public use.
Chancellor: Alexander N. Cartwright became chancellor of the University of Missouri in 2017. Previously, he served as provost and executive vice chancellor at the State University of New York.
Missouri’s 1890 Land-Grant Institution: Lincoln University of Missouri
http://www.lincolnu.edu @LUBlueTigers
The Lincoln Institute was established in 1866, largely due to the fundraising efforts of the 62nd Colored Infantry regiment of the U.S. Army. In 1890, the school received its land-grant designation. In 1921, the school was renamed Lincoln University of Missouri.
President: Jerald Jones Woolfolk became the president of Lincoln University of Missouri in 2018. Her land-grant credentials include having held several administrative positions at the land-grant institution University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and she is an alumnus of the land-grant institution Iowa State University, where she received a master’s degree in counselor education.
Montana’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: Montana State University
http://www.montana.edu @montanastate
Founded in 1893 as the Agricultural College of the State of Montana. The first classes were held in rooms in the county high school, and later in the building that housed the former Bozeman Academy (a private prep school. In fact, the first students were from Bozeman Academy, who were forced to transfer to the college. In 1913, the school was renamed the Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. In 1965, the school again was renamed Montana State University.
President: Waded Cruzado became the president of Montana State University in 2010. Dr. Cruzado has a distinguished land-grant pedigree. Previously, she served as executive vice president and provost at the land-grant institution of New Mexico State University. She also served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Puerto Rico’s land-grant university, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. A native of Puerto Rico, President Cruzado also received her bachelors degree in comparative literature from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. @wadedcruzado
Montana’s 1994 Land-Grant Institutions: Aaniiih Nakoda College, Blackfeet Community College, Chief Dull Knife College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn College, Salish Kootenai College, Stone Child College
Aaniiih Nakoda College
Founded in 1984 by the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council as Fort Belknap College. The school was charged with preserving and promoting the A’anin and Nakoda languages, cultures, and histories, and serves the residents of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding communities. In 2011, the school was renamed Aaniiih Nakoda College.
President: Carole Falcon-Chandler is the president of Aaniiih Nakoda College.
Blackfeet Community College
http://bfcc.edu @BlkftComCollege
In 1974, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council founded the Blackfeet Community College. The school was charged with serving the Blackfeet Nation and surrounding communities.
President: Billie Joe Kipp was named president of Blackfeet Community College in 2011.
Chief Dull Knife College
Founded in 1975 as Dull Knife Memorial College, CDKC was renamed in 2001 to emphasize the significance of Dull Knife as a chief and respected historical leader of the Northern Cheyenne people.
President: Richard Littlebear is the president of Chief Dull Knife College.
Fort Peck Community College
Fort Peck Community College was chartered by the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in 1978. The school was charged with the provision of services to the Fort Peck reservation and surrounding communities.
President: Haven Gourneau is the president of Fort Peck Community College. She was raised on the Fort Peck Reservation and is an alumnus of Fort Peck Community College.
Little Big Horn College
Little Big Horn College was chartered in 1980 by the Crow Tribe as a public two-year community college.
President: David Yarlott Jr. became the president of Little Bighorn College in 2002.
Salish Kootenai College
https://www.skc.edu @skcollege
Established in 1977, this school began as a branch campus of Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC). In 1981, the college formally disassociated itself from FVCC and became completely self-governing under the sovereign governmental authority of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
President: Sandra Boham became the president of Salish Kootenai College in 2016 after having previously served as interim president. President Boham is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Her land-grant background includes a master’s degree in adult and higher education from Montana State University.
Stone Child College
Stone Child College was established in 1984 as the accredited tribal college of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe. The school was charged with the preservation and maintenance of the Chippewa-Cree culture, and for the educational training of its tribal membership.
President: The Stone Child College Board of Regents selected Cory Sangrey-Billy to serve as interim president of the college until a permanent president can be chosen following the death of President Nate St. Pierre. Previously, Interim President Sangrey-Billy served as dean of academics at the college.
