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Purdue University. College of Agriculture

 Organization

Historical Information

As a land-grant university, a central part of Purdue’s mission is providing students with an adequate agricultural education. Courses in agriculture originated with the first classes taught at the university in 1874, but it wasn’t until 1878 that the School of Agriculture was established. In 2004, the school was renamed to the College of Agriculture.

Since its inception, the purpose of the Purdue University College of Agriculture has been to teach the theoretical and practical elements necessary for careers in agriculture and horticulture. Purdue’s investments in student and faculty resources caused the College of Agriculture to grow in graduates and geographic extent throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. By 2023, usnews.com ranked Purdue’s College of Agriculture eighth in the nation, with approximately 2,750 undergraduates enrolled and 20 agricultural research facilities.

Citation:
Board of Trustees minutes, 1878 Oct. 21, BOTM18781021, Board of Trustees Minutes, Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries, 4. https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/digital/collection/bot/id/20191/rec/1
Citation:
Board of Trustees Minutes, 2004 Nov. 19, BOTM20041119SM, Board of Trustees Minutes, Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries, 25. https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/digital/collection/bot/id/31145/rec/1127
Citation:
“Research Facilities,” College of Agriculture, Purdue University, Accessed June 20, 2024. https://ag.purdue.edu/department/arge/facilities-and-research/research-facilities.html
Citation:
“Student Enrollment, Fall 2023,” Undergraduate Admissions, Purdue University, Accessed June 20, 2024. https://admissions.purdue.edu/academics/enrollment.php

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

John Cleland papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSA 393
Scope and Contents The John Cleland papers include materials on the Purdue University College of Agriculture and dairy making in Indiana, with a focus on the Purdue University Creamery. Materials include pre-publication manuscripts written by Cleland, Purdue Swiss-type cheese recipes, and artifacts related to the Purdue University Creamery, including: cheese and butter wrapper labels; a glass milk bottle and paper bottle caps; and a cottage cheese container.Also included are a can of Purdue Hybrid...
Dates: 1908 - 2017; Majority of material found within circa 1930s - 1960s

Howard W. Gregory papers

 Collection — Box 1
Identifier: MSF 153
Scope and Contents The Howard W. Gregory papers contain documents pertaining to Gregory's work at Purdue University as head of the Purdue Dairy Department. The collection includes records of Purdue Dairy Extension, dairy production and processing reports, information on teaching and research, and professional writings and speeches. This collection may be useful to researchers interested in advances in dairy science, the development of dairy processes, procedures, and industry in the first half of the 20th...
Dates: 1922 - 1960