University of Minnesota. West Central School of Agriculture (Morris, Minn.)

The West Central School of Agriculture opened on October 3, 1910, on the Morris campus with 103 students and the stated purpose of "training of young men and women for the profession of farming." The School's administrative home was the Department of Agriculture (College of Agriculture), and the School would remain a part of the College's administrative structure until 1960. In 1960, when the high school became the University of Minnesota - Morris, a four-year liberal arts college, the campus retained the teaching facilities of the Experiment Station. The Station was and remains a regional center for agricultural research. Initially, as the Station developed, animal husbandry, crop production, and horticulture were the core research and education strengths. The research and education focus remained as such until about 1990, when, in response to changes in agriculture and rural community life, the Station was renamed the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC). New programs emphasizing rural sociology, agricultural economics and sustainability, in addition to traditional research subjects, define the current research agenda.