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In the classic Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life" the main character, George Bailey, is on the brink of suicide because of an errant deposit in the savings-and-loan bank that he manages. This, coupled with various hardships and unfilled dreams of fame and fortune, has him attempting suicide. However, his guardian angel Clarence, rescues him.
In their ensuing conversation George Bailey wishes that he had never been born. Clarence was able to fulfill this wish and shows Bailey what life would have been like in Bedford Falls if Bailey had not been born. The results are disturbing and show a dark, corrupt, nightmarish Bedford Falls without George Bailey. His life did make a major, positive difference in his community!
What if the Smith-Hughes Act had never been passed? What would agriculture and education be like today without this landmark legislation? Let's assume the Smith-Hughes Act never existed and there was no subsequent legislation based on the Smith-Hughes model. While it is a challenge to image life without the SmithHughes Act, here are some plausible possibilities.
Stagnant Agricultural Productivity. At the time the SmithHughes Act was passed about 70% of the population lived in rural areas and a typical farmer was able to feed only four other people (Kirschenmnn, 2000). Fast forward to the modern era and we see that one farmer feeds around 155 people (Vilsack, 2010). What has contributed to this increase in productivity? Among the many factors contributing to this increase are mechanization, crop hybridization, agricultural chemicals, artificial insemination and biotechnology. However, we also must recognize that the application of modern farming practices was being taught to countless thousands of young people in agricultural classes. These young people were then applying what they learned on the farm.
The Smith-Hughes Act required all students to have "... directed or supervised practice in agriculture.for at least six months per year." (Public Law No. 347, Sec. 10). Students typically grew crops or raised livestock under the watchful eye of the agricultural teacher. Students wanted to do a good job in applying the modern farming practices they were taught. Records from this era show that the crops yields produced by the students were nearly double that of the state average (Uricchio, Moore & Coley, 2013). Many of...