Some facts concerning the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University. Presented to a hearing of legislative committees. Albany, April 5, 1910/Occupations of former students
VII. OCCUPATIONS OF FORMER STUDENTS
The statement is frequently made that Agricultural Colleges educate away from the farm. A few years ago a tabulation was made of the occupations of former students so far as they could be learned at that time. The results are given in the following table:
OCCUPATIONS OF FORMER STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Of the total number of living former students who were not at that time in school and whose occupation could be learned, 71 per cent, were in some form of farm work, 20 per cent, were in some form of agricultural education work, or a total of 91 per cent, were either farming or pursuing some line of work directly allied to agriculture. Certainly it cannot be maintained that the New York State College of Agriculture educates away from the farm. Moreover, the tendency toward the farm is strongly increased. It is very doubtful whether any other type of professional or technical college could show a larger percentage of graduates and former students who are following the profession for which they prepared.
All of our agricultural colleges, particularly those connected with Universities, are influencing a very large percentage of their students to pursue practical agricultural work. Of the 206 graduates of the Illinois College of Agriculture, 113 are actually on farms and 82 in some other form of agricultural work; 95 per cent, are thus engaged in some kind of agricultural work.