Extension at the University marked its 90th anniversary on July 22, with a birthday celebration on the grounds of the Delaware State Fair in Harrington.

More than 200 persons attended the festivities, where state officials, lawmakers, UD and Delaware State University (DSU) administrators and a former Extension employee presented proclamations and tributes while talking of the positive role of the program in the lives of families and friends statewide.

Janice Seitz, director of Cooperative Extension in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, told the audience that, after 90 years of service, one indicator of the importance and vitality of Cooperative Extension is that the statewide 4-H program currently enrolls more than 51,000 young people. “That is more than 36 percent of the 4-H-aged youth who live in Delaware, a claim that cannot be made by any other state in the Union,” she said.

Several speakers at the ceremony, including Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and state Sen. Thurman Adams, AG ’50, recalled growing up as 4-H members.

“I always tell our young people to get involved in 4-H work, whether it’s working together as a team, sportsmanship, leadership or any of the skills of sewing, cooking or raising animals. I think I did a little bit of each,” Minner said.

She presented a proclamation that read: “For more than 90 years, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension has connected the public with University knowledge, research and resources to address youth, family, community and agricultural needs.”

Adams recalled the help that his father and grandfather received during the early days of the family’s farming business in Bridgeville, Del. “I will always be indebted to those folks in Cooperative Extension because of what they did for my dad and the farming community,” he said.

UD President David P. Roselle noted that the University, the first land-grant institution in the First State, exemplifies the integral role that Cooperative Extension plays in maintaining and enhancing the land-grant college tradition.

“Since its inception, Cooperative Extension has transformed our state, connecting the public with
the knowledge, research and resources of the University to address the needs of young people, families, the community and, of course, agriculture,” Roselle said.

Michael Scuse, Delaware state secretary of agriculture lauded Cooperative Extension’s “strong science-based approach to problem-solving that helps not just the agriculture community but all Delawareans.” He cited the program’s successful work on farmland preservation, water-quality issues and the outbreak of avian influenza that threatened the Delaware and Maryland broiler industries in early 2004.

Robin Morgan, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, praised the partnership between UD and DSU as fellow Extension institutions. “This partnership allows both universities to really extend the reach that they have,” Morgan said.

Kenneth W. Bell, acting provost and vice president and dean and research director of the College of Agriculture and Related Sciences at DSU, also lauded the cooperation that has grown between the two schools as they work to better serve Delawareans through Extension programs.

—Jerry Rhodes, AS ’04