The Department of Extension at Iowa State College (University) was first established in 1906. In 1921, Extension organized a new section called Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology and appointed William Stacy as rural sociologist the following year, making Iowa one of the first states to have such a specialist. Stacy began programming in recreation and community organization to promote social interaction among rural people. Under his leadership, Rural Sociology Extension provided a monthly program service newsletter to any organization in the state, focusing primarily on farm organizations. The collection contains newsletters, reports, program materials, planning documents, an account book, a radio talk script, and correspondence.

In 1906, the Iowa General Assembly appropriated funds to establish a Department of Extension at Iowa State College (University). Extension work in Iowa began earlier through the pioneering efforts of several people, including Mary B. Welch, James Wilson, and Perry Holden. Holden was appointed the first superintendent of Extension at Iowa State (1906-1912). He focused on three branches of Extension work: demonstration farms, short courses, and education trains. In 1914, the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Lever Act, creating a nationwide system of cooperative extension services that provide outreach activities through land-grant universities. The Act brought together funding at the national, state, and county levels to support the work of these cooperative extension services, and the program was administered through the United States Department of Agriculture. At ISU, the Department of Extension became Cooperative Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics. In 1966, University Extension was established by merging the short courses service group, farm demonstrations service group, engineering extension service group, and Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS, established in 1962). In 2006, University Extension became Extension and Outreach.

In 1921, Extension organized a new section called Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology that focused on making life richer for rural communities through organization and community development. This section produced a monthly newsletter called Agricultural Economics and Rural Organization Facts beginning in 1923. Rural sociology was beginning to develop as an academic field as people recognized the social isolation faced by those living in rural areas, particularly farm women. Extension Director Ralph Bliss appointed William Stacy as Extension's first rural sociologist in 1922, making Iowa one of the first states to have such a specialist. Stacy began programming in recreation and community organization to promote social interaction among rural people. Under his leadership, Rural Sociology Extension provided a monthly program service newsletter to any organization in the state, focusing primarily on farm organizations.

Sources

Bliss, Ralph K. History of Cooperative Agriculture and Home Economics Extension in Iowa--The First Fifty Years. Ames, IA: Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 1960.

Schwieder, Dorothy. 75 Years of Service: Cooperative Extension in Iowa. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1993.

This collection (1922-1969, undated) contains newsletters, reports, program materials, planning documents, an account book, a radio talk script, and correspondence. Included are the monthly program service newsletters distributed to rural organizations throughout the state, as well as materials related to the Rural Organization and Rural Youth sections of Rural Sociology Extension.

Related collections in the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library include:

• William Homer Stacy Papers (RS 16/3/57)
• University Extension Records (RS 16)
• Iowa State University, Department of Sociology Subject Files (RS 13/30/1)
• Iowa State University,Department of Sociology Administrative Files (RS 13/30/7)

The files are arranged alphabetically.