Many scholars believe the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 to be among the most important pieces of legislation in the history of the United States.

In 1863, Penn State became one of the nation's first, and Pennsylvania's only, land-grant institution. The Morrill Act gave the University a three-part mission of teaching, research and service.

To watch a video about Penn State and its land-grant mission, go to /video/156770/2013/02/09/video-no-title online.