The Heritage of Jonathan Baldwin Turner

Jonathan Baldwin Turner, a pioneer of agricultural education in Illinois and the United States, epitomized the spirit and intent of the scholarships bearing his name. A noted farmer and lecturer associated with Illinois College during the mid-1800s, Turner envisioned a nationwide system of educational institutions providing a "liberal and practical education" for citizens in the areas of agriculture and the mechanical arts.

Turner's dedication and leadership were influential in the passage of the Morrill Act, signed by President Lincoln in 1862. This law established a framework for the land-grant system of agricultural institutions throughout the United States. A further outgrowth of Turner's efforts was the Illinois Industrial University, later to become the internationally recognized University of Illinois.

[excerpt taken from the JBT web site at http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/Acad-Prog/jbt.html]

Created by: Paul Alexander of the The AIM Lab
Maintained by: The AIM Lab
Mail Comments and Suggestions to: jschmitz@uiuc.edu