Agricultural Teacher Education Preceding the Smith-Hughes Act

T h e 16-year time pe r i od f rom 1900 to 1916 l a id t he g roundwork fo r p r o f e s s i o n a l a g r i c u l t u r a l t e a c h e r educat ion. Dur ing t h i s t i m e , s e v e r a l q u e s t i o n s h a d t o b e a n s w e r e d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e : What shou ld be the s o u r c e o f t e a c h e r s ? S h o u l d c o l l e g e g r a d u a t i o n b e a r e q u i r e m e n t f o r teach ing agr icu l tu re o r shou ld some o ther source o f teachers be found? What p reserv ice ac t i v i t i es shou ld be par t o f the p rogram? ShouId preservice inc lude separa te teach ing me thods and s tuden t t each ing? W h o s h o u l d p r o v i d e t h e inservice a c t i v i t i e s a n d w h a t s h o u l d b e t a u g h t ? S h o u l d ag r i cu l tu re teachers be p repared by normal schoo ls o r land-gran t c o l leges?