Cooperative Extension Service Records, ca. 1867-2012

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Born from a $10,000 state appropriation from the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, the Cooperative Extension Service at Massachusetts Agricultural College brought practical, modern agricultural techniques into farms, homes and schools. The Extension Service grew and evolved under the leadership of MAC President Kenyon Butterfield, becoming the first Extension Service in the country be administered in large part by the local community. After World War II, the Cooperative Extension Service grew dramatically, expanding its services beyond just farming to topics including natural resource management, environmental science, and marketing. In addition to these changes, the Extension Service took an international view, bringing both information and guidance on building local extension programs to Japan, Vietnam, and Africa. Now part of the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, UMass Extension has continued its traditional focus on farmers while also providing resources for green building and sustainable agriculture. The Cooperative Extension Service Records consist of annual, directors', and project reports; histories; committee records; course materials; subject files; bulletins, leaflets, circulars, newsletters, newsclippings, and press releases; and other published materials.