Justin Smith Morrill

Biography

Justin Smith Morrill was a Vermont politician and one of the most influential legislators of the 19th century, serving in the House of Representatives and later the Senate. He authored the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862, which provided federal land grants to states for the establishment of colleges focused on agriculture and mechanical arts, creating the foundation for institutions like Cornell, MIT, and the University of California. Morrill's vision of accessible higher education transformed American society and remains one of his enduring legacies.