Cowboy Journal v22n2

Page 18

n 1890, Oklahoma A&M College faculty, students and staff set out to educate the next generation of Oklahomans on 200 acres of land dedicated to the campus and agricultural experiment station. Now, 130 years later these acres have become a part of the family legacy of Oklahoma State University’s Ferguson College of Agriculture for students from around the world. “Agriculture has always been a big part of OSU, especially back in the day when it was known as Oklahoma A&M College,” said David Peters, OSU 18 | COWBOY JOURNAL

Archives department head and assistant professor. Even though much has changed, OSU has always been a significant location for agricultural instruction and research, Peters said. “Initially, students were looking for information on how to help their families and themselves survive because agriculture was the main way of life,” Peters said. “Back then, it was very hands-on, practical teaching. You’d grab a hoe, and go out and weed or plant fruit trees.” During the Great Depression,

students sometimes would show up at OAMC without shoes, which showed the need Oklahomans had for stable employment and the importance of agriculture to the state, Peters said. Most college of agriculture students in the early years of OSU came from a small country high school, said Curtis Richardson, dairy specialist emeritus who also graduated from Oklahoma A&M. “When I went to OSU, I didn’t have money,” Richardson said. “I had to work my way through college at the dairy farm where 16 boys lived there in


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

Moving Closer to Home

1min
page 67

For the Love of Plants

1min
page 57

A Family Investment

1min
page 45

Two Generations of 4-H Passion

1min
page 41

A Heart for Food

2min
page 37

A Cooperative Effort

2min
page 33

A Tale of Two Doctors

1min
page 21

A Journey Ferguson College of Agriculture names the 2019-20 Outstanding Senior of Success

4min
pages 68-71

Project Sustainability

3min
pages 55-57

A Lesson to Hold

4min
pages 43-45

Beyond the Boots

2min
page 25

In the Midst of Change

3min
page 5

A Small Brown Invader

3min
pages 58-59

Aim High

4min
pages 60-63

Renewing Rural Oklahoma

6min
pages 64-67

A True Trailblazer

5min
pages 50-57

Collaborating Progress

6min
pages 38-45

Climbing the Ranks

5min
pages 46-49

Bon Appétit

6min
pages 34-37

Fostering Leaders

4min
pages 30-33

Legacy

5min
pages 18-22

Preparing for the Big Reveal

5min
pages 15-16

Agriculture is...

3min
pages 23-27

Just Call Mary Ellen

3min
pages 28-29

Embarking on New Frontiers

7min
pages 10-14

One Family. One Vision

4min
pages 6-9
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.