Records of the College of Agriculture

In 1870, the Colorado territorial government established an agricultural college in Fort Collins, Colorado. As determined by the federal Morrill Act, this college was to create instruction in the areas of agricultural and mechanical arts. Overseen by a government-appointed State Board of Agriculture, the State Agricultural College opened its doors in 1879.

The Division of Agriculture was tasked with instruction in animal husbandry, agronomy, horticulture, veterinary science, and agricultural chemistry. Courses were first organized into departments during the 1903-1904 academic year. Veterinary science would later become its own division, and forestry, entomology, zoology, general agriculture, vocational agriculture, and poultry husbandry were added as departments or courses of study. The Division of Agriculture became the School of Agriculture, and later the College of Agriculture.

Course offerings continued to expand and by the mid 1960s, the College of Agriculture was made up of five departments - the department of agronomy, department of animal sciences, department of entomology, department of horticulture, and department of poultry husbandry - with courses of study in general agriculture, vocational agriculture, agricultural economics, farm and ranch management, agricultural business, and agricultural journalism.