The Smith-Lever Act of 1914

  • The Smith-Lever Act of 1914
  • The Smith-Lever Act of 1914
  • The Smith-Lever Act of 1914
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914

The Smith-Lever Act established a national Cooperative Extension Service that extended outreach programs through land-grant universities to educate rural Americans about advances in agricultural practices and technology. These advances helped increase American agricultural productivity dramatically throughout the 20th century.

Today, cooperative extension continues to serve the educational and developmental needs of communities across the United States by supporting clubs, classes, and events that help citizens keep pace with the rapid modern advances in agriculture techniques and technologies.

The Smith-Lever Act was on display at the National Archives Museum in celebration of its 100th anniversary on May 8, 2014.

The National Archives Museum’s “Featured Documents” exhibit is made possible in part by the Foundation for the National Archives through the generous support of Toyota.

Past Featured Records