A Sketch Of The Iowa Agricultural College—Its Origin—Features Of The Act Of Creation—First Board Of Trustees—Location Of The Farm—Important Matters Not Generally Known—Trials Through Which The Institution Has Successfully Passed—National Aid—The Land-Leasing System— The Buildings—Organization Of The College—Inaugural Exercises—The Old Faculty—Student Manual Labor—The Rankin Defalcation—Later Buildings And Improvements—Progress In Instruction—The Funds—The Presidents—Attendance And Results—The Experiment Station.
Is like a headstrong horse that throws the rider.- Quarles.
THE first session of the General Assembly held under the new constitution convened at Des Moines on January 11, 1858. At this session, Hon. R. A. Richardson, Hon. B. F. Gue, Hon. Ed. Wright, Hon. William Lundy and Hon. Charles Foster prepared a bill providing for the organization of a State agricultural college and model farm, for the purpose of affording higher education to the industrial classes. The bill was introduced into the House on the 4th of February, by Mr. Richardson, and referred to the committee on ways and means ; on the 10th of March, Mr. Wilson, chairman of the committee, reported the bill back to the House, with the recommendation that its further consideration be indefinitely postponed. This brought on a spirited contest between the friends and the opponents of the measure. Speeches were made in advocacy of the measure by the above named gentlemen, who had prepared the bill, showing the necessity for and the benefits which would inure to the State from the founding and maintenance of such an institution as was contemplated by the bill. J. F. Wilson, W. H. Seevers, John Edwards and others made speeches against the bill, basing their opposition principally on the ground of inexpediency, owing to the depressed financial condition of the State. Fearing that the bill might be defeated, the friends of the bill consented to reduce the appropriation to $10,000, just half the original amount asked for; and the bill, thus modified, passed both branches of the Legislature by a large majority, and became a law the 22d of March, 1858.
This act provided that there is hereby established a State agricultural college and model farm, which shall be connected with the entire