Beacon Across the Prairie
by William C. Hunter

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On March 2, 1861, Dakota Territory was admitted to the Union as a new member. At this date, the area included the present states of North Dakota and South Dakota as well as most of Montana and part of Wyoming. However, this large territory in the Great Plains was too unwieldy, from a political and economic viewpoint, to become a strong, integrated and progressive state among other states which had advanced and developed during the previous decades. So the Territory was partitioned and on November 2, 1889, North Dakota, which had been a part of it, was admitted to statehood in the United States. Already, in the following year-1890-an Agricultural College was opened at Fargo, adding one more educational institution to the list of land-grant colleges which had been established for the nation by Federal Legislation through the First Morrill Act of 1862.

Since those years in which a new state and a new college were founded, North Dakota and the "A.C." have grown together through good times as well as bad. For 70 years, the North Dakota Agricultural College has shown a vital concern for a large part of the population of the State and has contributed immensely, especially to the welfare of its homemakers and farmers. The rather young history of our State would be incomplete without the recognition of the services, the training and the enlightenment which the "A.C." has given to the life, the development and the strength of North Dakota and its citizens.

Thus it is only natural that after 70 years of life and growth, the College, its administration and staff felt it appropriate to look back at its past and to record for coming generations the history of seven decades. The task of doing this was given to Dr. William C. Hunter who, after many years of service, retired in 1952 as head of the department of social science. In his historical account, the author hopes to interpret, most of all,, the relationship of the College "to the history of the State of North Dakota and its varying economic and political changes" and, in addition, "to relate the story of the College closely to the general development of public education on the basis of the educational philosophy of land-grant colleges."

In fifteen chapters we learn many interesting and significant factors about he founding of the College itself, about its early years of growth and rapid expansion, about scientific research and professional services, about student life and the activities of its staff. We also read about the dangers which depression and drought brought to the College, about wars and strifes, purges and politics which threatened the life of the "A.C." and enforced from time to time retrenchment and reorganization. But in both good and bad years there was solid support of the College among the citizens of the State so that there was consistent progress and remarkable scientific achievement among the many schools of this invaluable institution. Its bright future was significantly documented by the change of name, in 1960, when, by the will of the people of the State, its Agricultural College became a University in order to serve even better many more segments of the population of North Dakota.