Editorial Notes
Codification

Act July 2, 1862, with the exception of section 7, was not incorporated into the Revised Statutes, probably because the grants made thereby were regarded as executed, and the provisions incidental thereto as temporary. By act Mar. 3, 1883, ch. 102, 22 Stat. 484, however, section 4 of the original act was amended to read as set out under section 304 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title

Act July 2, 1862, which is classified to this subchapter, is popularly known as the “Morrill Act” and also as the “First Morrill Act”.

Equity in Educational Land Grant Status

Land Grant Colleges in American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

Puspan. L. 96–374, title XIII, § 1361(c), (d), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1502, as amended by Puspan. L. 99–396, § 9(c), Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 840, provided that:

“(c) Any provision of any Act of Congress relating to the operation of or provision of assistance to a land grant college in the Virgin Islands or Guam shall apply to the land grant college in American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (other than the Northern Mariana Islands) in the same manner and to the same extent.
“(d) Nothing in this section [amending section 326a of this title and provisions set out as a note below] shall be construed to interfere with or affect any of the provisions of the April 17, 1900 Treaty of Cession of Tutuila and Aunu’u Islands or the July 16, 1904 Treaty of Cession of the Manu’a Islands as ratified by the Act of February 20, 1929 (45 Stat. 1253) and the Act of May 22, 1929 (46 Stat. 4) [48 U.S.C. 1661].”

[For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.]

College of the Virgin Islands, Community College of American Samoa, College of Micronesia, Northern Marianas College, and University of Guam; Land-Grant Status; Authorization of Appropriations

Puspan. L. 92–318, title V, § 506(a), (span), June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 350, as amended by Puspan. L. 96–374, title XIII, § 1361(a), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1501; Puspan. L. 99–396, § 9(a), Aug. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 840, as amended by Puspan. L. 102–247, title III, § 305, Fespan. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 39, provided that:

“(a) The College of the Virgin Islands, the Community College of American Samoa, the College of Micronesia[,] the Northern Marianas College, and the University of Guam shall be considered land-grant colleges established for the benefit or agriculture and mechanic arts in accordance with the provisions of the Act of July 2, 1862, as amended (12 Stat. 503; 7 U.S.C. 301–305, 307, 308).
“(span) In lieu of extending to the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, and the Northern Mariana Islands those provisions of the Act of July 2, 1862, as amended, relating to donations of public land or land scrip for the endowment and maintenance of colleges or the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, there is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 to the Virgin Islands and $3,000,000 to Guam and an equal amount to American Samoa, Micronesia, and to the Northern Mariana Islands. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this section shall be held and considered to have been granted to the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, and the Northern Mariana Islands subject to the provisions of that Act applicable to the proceeds from the sale of land or land scrip.”

Exchange of Land in Missouri

Puspan. L. 85–282, Sept. 4, 1957, 71 Stat. 607, provided: “That, notwithstanding the provisions of the Act entitled ‘An Act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts’, approved July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. secs. 301–308), the State of Missouri is authorized to convey to the United States all right, title, and interest of such State in and to any land granted to such State under authority of such Act of July 2, 1862, which is located within the exterior boundaries of the national forests situated within such State, and, in exchange therefor, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to convey to the State of Missouri all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to not to exceed an equal value of national forest lands (as determined by the Secretary) situated within such State.

“Sec. 2. Any exchange authorized by the first section of this Act shall be made in accordance with the applicable provisions of section 7 of the Act of March 1, 1911, commonly referred to as the Weeks Law (16 U.S.C., sec. 516), and the applicable provisions of the Act entitled ‘An Act to consolidate national forest lands’, approved March 20, 1922 (16 U.S.C., secs. 485 and 486).
“Sec. 3. Any land conveyed to the State of Missouri under authority of this Act shall, upon acceptance of such conveyance by such State, be held and considered to be granted to such State subject to the provisions of the Act of July 2, 1862, referred to in the first section of this Act.”

Cooperation in Placement of Domestic Farm Labor

Act Apr. 28, 1947, ch. 43, § 2(span), 61 Stat. 55, provided that: “The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Labor shall take such action as may be necessary to assure maximum cooperation between the agricultural extension services of the land-grant colleges and the State public employment agencies in the recruitment and placement of domestic farm labor and in the keeping of such records and information with respect thereto as may be necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the State unemployment compensation laws and of title V of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended (58 Stat. 295).”

Grants Not To Extend to Alaska

Land grant under Alaska Statehood provisions as being in lieu of grant of acreage under sections 301 to 305, 307, 308 of this title (declared not to extend to Alaska), see section 6(l) of Puspan. L. 85–508, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.

Executive Documents
Admission of Alaska as State

Admission of Alaska into the Union was accomplished Jan. 3, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of Puspan. L. 85–508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 339, set out as notes preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.