Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Professionals of the agricultural science are called agricultural scientists or agriculturists.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, the school became a public land grant college, then took its current name in 1939. Over the following decade, social work, nursing, and graduate programs were established. During the 1960s, UConn Health was established for new medical and dental schools. UConn is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, a railroad executive. The school was incorporated in 1871. The Sheffield Scientific School helped establish the model for the transition of U.S. higher education from a classical model to one which incorporated both the sciences and the liberal arts. Following World War I, however, its curriculum gradually became completely integrated with Yale College. "The Sheff" ceased to function as a separate entity in 1956.
An agricultural experiment station (AES) or agricultural research station (ARS) is a scientific research center that investigates difficulties and potential improvements to food production and agribusiness. Experiment station scientists work with farmers, ranchers, suppliers, processors, and others involved in food production and agriculture.
Alfred Charles True, Ph.D., Sc.D. was a United States educator and agriculturist.
Wilbur Olin Atwater was an American chemist known for his studies of human nutrition and metabolism, and is considered the father of modern nutrition research and education. He is credited with developing the Atwater system, which laid the groundwork for nutrition science in the United States and inspired modern Olympic nutrition.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) is the Connecticut state government's agricultural experiment station, a state government component that engages in scientific research and public outreach in agriculture and related fields. It is the oldest state experiment station in the United States, having been founded in 1875. Its official mission is to "develop, advance, and disseminate scientific knowledge, improve agricultural productivity and environmental quality, protect plants, and enhance human health and well-being through research for the benefit of Connecticut residents and the nation." The station operates a main research campus in New Haven, a research farm in Hamden, a satellite research facility and farm in Windsor, and a research farm in Griswold. The Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station is a separate agricultural research agency, founded in 1887 and part of the University of Connecticut, which also receives state and federal funding.
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college and "little university" located in Middletown, Connecticut. The now secular and co-ed institution was founded in 1831 as an all-male Methodist college.
New Jersey Hall is a historic education building located on the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Built in 1889 under the leadership of President Merrill Edward Gates, it housed the Agricultural Experiment Station. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 24, 1975, for its significance in agriculture and education. Today, the building houses the university's Department of Economics.
Agriculture played a major role in the early growth of Connecticut as one of the original 13 colonies that would form the United States of America, particularly in the Connecticut River valley which provides fertile soil, temperate climate and easy access to markets. As the Industrial Revolution helped focus capital on mercantile centers in the 19th century, Connecticut farmers over time ceded their relative economic and political influence.
George Washington Flint was an American educator and academic administrator who served as the second president of Storrs Agricultural College, now the University of Connecticut, from 1898 to 1901.
George Alan Works (1877–1957) was an American academic administrator who served as the fifth president of the University of Connecticut from 1929 to 1930. His papers are held in the university archives at the Dodd Research Center.
Henry Prentiss Armsby was an American agricultural chemist, animal nutritionist, and academic administrator. He served as Vice Principal and Acting Principal of the Storrs Agricultural School (1881–1883), associate director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station (1883–1887), and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station (1887–1907) and the Institute of Animal Nutrition (1907–1921) at the Pennsylvania State University.
Rufus Whittaker Stimson was an American educator who served as the third president of the University of Connecticut from 1901 to 1908. Stimson was a major influence on the field of agricultural education.
Nathan Laselle Whetten was an American academic who served as professor of sociology (1932–1971) and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Connecticut (1940–1970). UConn's Nathan L. Whetten Graduate School was named in his honor in 1971.
Harry Lucian Garrigus was an American animal scientist, livestock breeder, and educator who worked at the University of Connecticut (UConn) from 1900 to 1942. Garrigus served as Professor of Animal Husbandry from 1907 until his retirement. Two of his sons and one of his grandsons followed in his footsteps, teaching animal sciences at public universities in the Upper South and Midwest.
Edward Hopkins Jenkins was an American agricultural chemist who served as director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station from 1900 to 1923. He also directed the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station from 1912 to 1923. Jenkins oversaw the writing of hundreds of agricultural publications during his tenure, specializing in the culture, cure, and fermentation of tobacco.
Gardner Dow was an American college football player for the Connecticut Aggies. He died of traumatic brain injury sustained in a game against the University of New Hampshire. Connecticut Agricultural College named its athletic field in his honor. The Gardner Dow Field served as the football team's home pitch for decades.
William Henry Hall was an American politician who served as president pro tempore of the Connecticut State Senate (1921–1922). A Republican from South Willington, Hall represented the Senate's 35th district.
The University of Connecticut's College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR) is the oldest of UConn's fourteen colleges, and teaches a wide range of subjects. It is the oldest agricultural school in Connecticut, originally established with two purposes, conducting agriculture research and teaching practical skills to modernize farming. The college describes its mission as working "toward a global sustainable future." To that end, besides conducting research and teaching, the college's faculty also work together with Connecticut communities on projects related to food systems, agriculture, human health, nutrition and physical activity, and environmental science.
