USDA Graduate School Records

Collection

Identifier: MS0181

Staff Only

Content Description

The USDA Graduate School Records contain catalogs, schedules of classes, annual reports, newsletters, promotional materials, newspaper articles, lectures, publications, legal memoranda and correspondence, a history of origin, 25th and 50th anniversary materials, self-evaluation and long range planning information, regulations and operating procedures, general administration files, educational statistics, a filmstrip, and an audio tape.

Dates

Creation: 1921-2009

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Organizational History

The Graduate School of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was established in 1921 by the Secretary of Agriculture to stimulate and encourage post-entry education and to offer opportunities for the education and training of employees. The department was primarily concerned with providing further educational opportunities for its younger scientists. The school did not grant degrees, and not all of its course work was at the graduate level. Furthermore, the curriculum offered courses specific to government work, which were not usually available at colleges and universities. The USDA Graduate School and the University of Maryland formed a cooperative agreement, which made the resources of each institution available to students.