University of Minnesota. Southern School of Agriculture (Waseca, Minn.)

The Southern School of Agriculture (SSA), located in Waseca, Minnesota, was established in 1953. Its establishment came about as a result of concern among area legislators, educators and residents about the high drop out rate of rural school age youth in Southern Minnesota and limited interest in formal education at the secondary level. In 1919 the Minnesota State Legislature designated land for an agricultural school in Southern Minnesota. It was to be located at the Southeast Experiment Station that was established in 1912. However, no funding was appropriated to finance establishment of a school until 1949. Operation of the School was closely coordinated with the Southern Experiment Station and some of the staff had dual responsibilities in both teaching and research. In 1969 the Minnesota State Legislature passed a Bill providing that the Southern School of Agriculture be phased out. A two-year technical college was to be established and scheduled to start in 1971. For two years, programs of both the School of Agriculture and Technical College ran concurrently until the last class of students graduated from the Southern School of Agriculture in 1973. After the closing of the Southern School, many of the activities and events that occurred during its operation continued with the Technical College.