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Michigan State Agricultural College BY PRESIDENT ABBOT
They say: "As every farmer must be a citizen, as his rights of property and person are both affected by the constitution of society, and as his habits of thought are in great part formed during his collegiate course, he is certainly as much interested as any one can be in securing a thorough and substantial education. * * Our sons should not be satisfied with anything less than a full course in science and literature. " They recommend the transfer of the care of the college to a state board of agriculture. The report was adopted in December, 1860, and a committee appointed to memorialize the legislature
on the subject.
A bill to this effect and to reorganize the college was introduced into the senate, and was much discussed in the committees there, and by the newspapers outside. Mr. Williams, ex-president of the college, was a member of the senate, and his influence is plainly visible in the provisions of the bill. Mr. J. C. Holmes was also freely consulted, as is shown in various manuscript memoranda. Two curious provisions of the printed bill were excluded before its passage. The one forbids the requiring of attendance of students at any religious exercises if, of age, he objects, or if either parent objects. The other forbids the existence of secret societies of students. The bill in the senate was in charge of Hon. Ira, H. Butterfield. It was passed by the senate by a vote of 24 to 5.
In the house a bill creating a state board of agriculture was passed with but one negative, but not being approved by the senate committee, the senate bill, when it came down to the house, was passed instead, by a vote of 58 to 18. Hon. J. Webster Childs had charge of the bill.
With few changes the organic act under which the college is managed, exists today as it was passed in 1861.
Michigan State
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