Interesting Tidbits

[Laurie Verge]

Just received this from the LGDC and am passing along a lesson for the day:

One hundred fifty years ago, on 22 April 1863, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) held its first meeting. The founding of the academy was but one of an impressive array of federal actions that would prepare the United States of America for a bright future.

During the dark days of 1862 and 1863, mired in a bloody and intense Civil War, Congress passed, and President Lincoln signed, the Morrill Act, creating a system of Land Grant Colleges. The Act greatly enhanced access to higher education for Americans and promoted scientific and technical research in the coming generations. In the same period, Congress authorized the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, and President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Only a few months later, President Lincoln and Congress took another major step to advance the young nation by creating NAS, a bold way to elevate American science and to incorporate science into the U.S. future. This was a remarkable set of government actions during very tough times.

[Bill Richter]

For what it is worth, Land Grant Colleges also were to teach military science (ROTC) which was dropped in the 1960s because of the Viet Nam war. I remember taking 2 years of compulsory ROTC. I really didn't care, because drill was easy, we got to shoot in a target range under the stadium (I had good site groupings, as they called it then), and the indoor classes were easy A's for me. My paper in Military History was Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign and how he utilized the principle of war to win and for US Army and National Security a blurb on the Korean War--which was fairly current--giving you all a feeling for how old I am.

[Laurie Verge]

The University of Maryland was a Land Grant College also - then named the Maryland Agricultural College - but military training was emphasized. BTW: The Calvert family was instrumental in founding our college. The same family sold the Surratts this property and never received full payment - hence Mrs. Surratt's excuse for visiting her old tavern on April 11 and 14. A Calvert daughter married Dr. Richard Stuart and hosted two fugitives briefly at Cleydael.

[Laurie Verge]

Check out BoothieBarn.com, the great site run by Dave Taylor. Today's posting is on Chimney House in Port Tobacco and also the efforts to find the Atzerodt carriage shop.

I love this particular posting because Chimney House is up for sale, and Dave managed to get inside during an open house. Now I want to know how much the asking price is.

[LincolnMan]

Michigan State University was also a Land Grant College. In their Chapel on the campus is a stained-glass window portraying Abraham Lincoln-which I'm assuming is there partly because of his signing the Act.