Agricultural education has been an integral part of the University of Minnesota since its inception. The original University charter, passed by the Territorial Legislature in 1851, named a Department of Agriculture as one of the five major divisions of the University. Instruction in agriculture did not commence until 1869 with the establishment of the College of Agriculture. In 1871, it became an independent unit, the Department of Agriculture.
The name was changed to the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics in 1917 to more accurately describe its course offerings. The Department of Agriculture was renamed the Institute of Agriculture in 1952, with all instruction in agriculture, forestry, home economics and veterinary medicine being offered within the Institute. In 1957, the School of Veterinary Medicine was designated as a separate college. In 1970, the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics was reorganized, creating three separate departments within the Institute, the College of Agriculture, the School of Forestry and the School of Home Economics.
In 1974, the name of the Institute was changed to the Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Home Economics. In 1995, the College of Agriculture changed its name to the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences and was made an autonomous unit at the University. Currently, the college consists of 11 departments, one division and six research and outreach centers.
From the guide to the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences papers, 1970s-1990s, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
