4-H Girls Health Projects, 1954-55 | University of Illinois Archives

Under the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 and subsequent laws, the University is responsible for cooperative agricultural and home economics extension work, consisting of instruction and practical demonstrations for persons not attending the University through field demonstrations and publications.¹ The County Cooperative Extension Law passed in 1963 recognized the County Extension Councils set up by the University; with this authorization the University reaffirmed the delegation of this function to the Director of the University Cooperative Extension Service. In addition this law established Extension Boards as liaisons between the County Councils and County Board of Supervisors or Commissioners, and designated the University to be eligible to receive county funds to support the Cooperative Extension program.² Originally the Dean of the College of Agriculture served under the title of Director of the Cooperative Extension Service.³ On April 1, 1965, this title was changed back to simply Dean of the College of Agriculture, while the Associate Director of the Cooperative Extension Service became the Director of the Cooperative Extension Service and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture.⁴

On May 11, 1995, the Board of Trustees approved the renaming and reorganization of the College. It was renamed the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences and several changes were made in the organization of departments and divisions.⁵ The faculty in the 4-H and Youth Programs, which to that point had been part of the Cooperative Extension Service, were combined with three other entities to create a new department called the Department of Human and Community Development.⁶

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 27th Report, June 9, 1914, p. 766.

2. Ibid., 52nd Report, September 18, 1963, p. 773

3. Ibid., 27th Report, June 9, 1914, p. 766.

4. Ibid., 53rd Report, February 17, 1965, p. 393.

5. Board of Trustees Transactions, 68th Report, May 11, 1995, p. 277-8.

6. SEE Human and Community Development Department, RG 8/11.