May 21, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 20
UGA EXTENSION CELEBRATES 100 YEARS University of Georgia officials and members of Georgia’s agriculture community gathered May 15 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the federal Smith-Lever Act, which established America’s system of state Cooperative Extension programs. During the UGA Extension Centennial Celebration held at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries on the UGA Athens Campus, guests had the chance to enjoy the exhibit, “100 Years of Extension: The Legacy of the Smith-Lever Act in Georgia,” on display at the library through June 30. “Georgia along with South Carolina led the movement to establish Extension, and Georgia remained one of the most vibrant states with Extension,” Dr. Beverly Sparks, UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences associate dean for Extension, said in her welcoming remarks. Sen. Hoke Smith of Georgia co-authored the Smith-Lever Act with U.S. Rep. Ashbury Lever of South Carolina, which President Woodrow Wilson signed May 8, 1914. The act created a national system to deliver land-grant university research information to farmers and rural residents. UGA Extension is a county, state and federally funded organization staffed by specialists with the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) and UGA College of Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS). UGA President Jere Morehead acknowledged how important UGA Extension is to the state. “Extension connects the resources of the University of Georgia to the people of Georgia,” Morehead said. “What I appreciate most about Extension is not what it has done in the past but what it’s doing now and will do in the future.” Morehead said many people have told him during his first year as president that when they think of the University of Georgia they don’t think of the teaching in Athens but the work being done in communities across the state on behalf of UGA by Extension. During the centennial reception, Ga. Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Dist. 46) and Ga. Rep. Chuck Williams (R-Dist. 119) presented resolutions their respective chambers passed earlier this year recognizing UGA Extension’s 100th anniversary to University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby and to UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Dean & Director Scott Angle. Kevin Little, president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, presented a resolution to Morehead recognizing the contributions Extension makes to Georgia communities. Visit http://100years.extension.uga.edu to view the UGA Extension Centennial exhibit online. Visit http://bit.ly/ext100th to read an article about UGA Extension in the latest issue of Georgia Farm Bureau’s Georgia Neighbors magazine.