Clemson University Extension Service | South Carolina Public Radio

"C" is for Clemson University Extension Service. The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created the Cooperative Extension Service. The act ended the rivalry between state agricultural commissioners and land grant colleges over the administration of extension work. In its place, Smith-Lever created a partnership of federal, state, and local governments that worked to improve the quality of rural life by disseminating the latest information to farmers, homemakers, and communities. The General Assembly accepted Smith-Lever and, by joint resolution designated Clemson Agricultural and Mechanical College as the state agency for agricultural extension work. By the start of the twenty-first century, efforts of the Clemson University Extension Service focused more on families and youth, while maintaining a strong agricultural base and its traditional emphasis on economic and community development, environmental issues, food safety, and nutrition.