Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Presented Champions Award for Land-Grant Universities

By Ledger-Enquirer Staff
Thursday, March 3, 2011

Council for Agriculture Research, Extension and Teaching presented the honor

U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. has been presented the Congressional Champions Award for his years of service supporting land-grant universities.

Bishop, who represents part of south Columbus and Fort Benning in the 2nd Congressional District, was awarded the Congressional Champions Award by the Council for Agriculture Research, Extension and Teaching.

Bishop has been a supporter of land-grant universities since he came to Congress and secured millions of dollars for agriculture research in Georgia.

The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land to states to establish land grant colleges. Under the law, the institutions were developed to focus on agriculture, science and engineering.

In Georgia, the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University are land grant universities. Auburn University, Alabama A&M University and Tuskegee University are land grant universities in Alabama.

“I was honored to receive this award because I believe our land-grant colleges are essential to our national prosperity,” Bishop said. “Their research, extension and training programs are why we can grow the best food and fiber on the planet, and I have seen the investments pay off in Georgia’s agriculture sector.”

Made up of volunteer representatives from 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, the national grass roots organization is affiliated with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.