Idaho’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University  Idaho

https://www.uidaho.edu @uidaho

Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho held its first classes on the Moscow campus in 1892. The University of Idaho was Idaho’s only university until 1963 (when Boise Junior College became Boise State University).

President: Chuck Staben took office as the president of the University Idaho in 2014. All of President Staben’s degrees are from land-grant institutions, including an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. He also held several professional positions at other notable land-grant institutions, including the University of Kentucky and the University of South Dakota.

Hawai’i’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Hawai’i at Manoa (Honolulu)

 https://manoa.hawaii.edu @uhmanoa

In 1907, the Hawai’i Territorial Legislature established the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in Honolulu. It was renamed the College of Hawai’i in 1912, and then in 1920 it was renamed again as the University of Hawai’i in 1920. In 1931 the Territorial Normal and Training School was absorbed into the University of Hawai’i and became its College of Education. The University of Hawai’i at Manoa serves as the flagship institution for the larger University of Hawai’i system.

President: David Lassner is the president of the University of Hawai’i System and is currently serving as interim chancellor of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. All of President Lassner’s degrees are from land-grant institutions, including undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a doctorate from the University of Hawaiʻi.

Georgia’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Georgia

http://www.uga.edu @universityofga

The University of Georgia was incorporated in 1785 by the Georgia General Assembly, making it the first state to create a publicly supported institution of higher learning. The first classes were held in 1801 and the first graduating class happened in 1804. The university closed from 1863 through the beginning of 1866 due to the impact of the American Civil War. Originally open only to white males, the university began to accept white women in 1903. Full racial integration finally occurred in 1961.

President: Jere W. Morehead became president of the University of Georgia in 2013, having previously served this university in a variety of administrative roles. He is a graduate of UGA, having received his law degree in 1980. As such, he is the first alumnus to serve as president of this university.

Georgia’s 1890 Land-Grant Institution: Fort Valley State University

http://www.fvsu.edu @FVSU

Opened in 1895 as the Fort Valley High and Industrial School, then merged in 1939 with the State Teachers and Agricultural College of Forsyth (founded in 1902). In 1947, the state’s Board of Regents adopted a resolution moving the land-grant designation from Savannah State College (now Savannah State University) to Fort Valley State College, a move that was officially sanctioned by the Georgia General Assembly in 1949. The school’s name changed to Fort Valley State University in 1996.

President: Paul A. Jones became the president of Fort Valley State University in 2015. President Jones earned all his degrees from land-grant institutions, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Utah State University, and his Ph.D. in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. @FVSUpresident

Florida’s 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Florida

http://www.ufl.edu @UF

The University of Florida traces its origins to 1853 and the founding of the East Florida Seminary in Ocala. In 1884, the Florida Agricultural College was founded in Lake City as the state’s land-grant college, and in 1903 it was renamed the University of Florida. In 1905, the Florida legislature consolidated all its public colleges into three segregated institutions: the University of the State of Florida for white males, the Florida Female College for white females, and the State Normal School for Colored Students for African-American males and females. The new campus of the University of the State of Florida was opened in Gainesville in 1906, and in 1909 the school’s name was simplified to the University of Florida.

President: Kent Fuchs was named president of the University of Florida in 2015.  Dr. Fuchs has an impressive land-grant pedigree. As a student, he earned his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois. Prior to becoming UF’s president, he was the provost and dean of engineering at Cornell University, New York’s land-grant institution. He also was the head of the school of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, Indiana’s land-grant institution, as well as being a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois, that state’s land-grant institution. @PresidentFuchs

Florida’s 1890 Land-Grant Institution: Florida A&M University

http://www.famu.edu @FAMU_1887

Opened in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students, its name was changed in 1891 to the State Normal and Industrial College for Colored Students in concert with the second Morrill Act. In 1909, the name of the college was changed to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes, and in 1953 the name was finally changed to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

President: Larry Robinson was named president of Florida A&M University in 2017 after having served as this institution’s interim president in 2016-2017 and from 2012-2014. He also is a distinguished professor and researcher in the School of the Environment at FAMU. @LRobinsonFAMU

District of Columbia 1890 Land-Grant Institution: University of the District of Columbia

 https://www.udc.edu @UDC_edu

The University of the District of Columbia was founded in 1851 as the Normal School for Colored Girls, and subsequently was renamed the Miner Normal School in 1879. It coexisted alongside the Washington Normal School, which was established in 1873 and renamed the Wilson Normal School in 1913. These segregated schools were merged in 1955 and named the District of Columbia Teachers College. Two additional schools – Federal City College and the Washington Technical Institute – were opened in 1968 as the result of the District of Columbia Public Education Act. A merger of all three institutions into what is now known as the University of the District of Columbus occurred in 1977. Finally, in 1996 the District of Columbia School of Law was brought under the administrative umbrella of the University of the District of Columbia.

President: Ronald Mason was appointed president of the University of the District of Columbia in 2015. Previously to this position, Mr. Mason was president of the Southern University and A&M College System, a collection of five HBCU campuses. @udc_pres

Delaware 1862 Land-Grant Institution: University of Delaware

http://www.udel.edu @UDelaware

 The University of Delaware traces its founding to 1743 when the “Free School” was opened in New London, PA (Delaware was a Pennsylvania colony until 1776). The school changed names and locations several times, including the Academy of Newark (1769), Newark College (1833), and Delaware College (1843). Closed in 1859, the school reopened in 1870 due to passage of the Morrill Act, and in 1921 it was renamed the University of Delaware.

President: Dennis Assanis assumed the presidency of the University of Delaware in 2016. He holds four degrees from the land-grant institution the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: M.S. in naval architecture and marine engineering; M.S. in mechanical engineering; M.S. in management; and Ph.D. in power and propulsion.

Delaware 1890 Land-Grant Institution: Delaware State University

 https://www.desu.edu @DelStateUniv

The Delaware College for Colored Students was founded in 1891. Its name was changed to the State College for Colored Students in 1893, and then changed again to Delaware State College in 1947 before receiving its present name of Delaware State University in 1993.

President: Wilma Mishoe began serving as interim president of Delaware State University in 2018. Dr. Mishoe is the first offspring of a former Delaware State University president (Luna Mishoe, who was president from 1960-1987) to serve in the same leadership position.