CREATING AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

 Excerpts from article:

"This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first Morrill Land Grant Act, named after the Vermont senator, Justin Morrill, who was instrumental in its creation and passage. Not only is the region’s higher education community reminded of its great tradition and leadership, it is compelled by the need to continue to play a role in the nation’s economic recovery and to reconsider the vision of institutions in present and future prosperity.

In 1862, Congress passed the Morrill Act that established land-grant colleges whose mission was to promote learning in agriculture and mechanic arts. These colleges played a key role in enabling the U.S. to later lead in the mechanization of agriculture and the industrialization of the economy. Today, the challenge is even greater as America is competing against a wide array of nations seeking to win the race for global innovation advantage, including in manufacturing. A new cadre of “manufacturing universities” can be part of the solution.

In the 2000s, American manufacturing suffered its worst decade since at least World War II. One-third of manufacturing jobs disappeared and manufacturing output declined by over 10% as U.S. manufacturing became less competitive internationally. If the U.S. is to regain manufacturing jobs and, with it, overall economic vitality, the federal government will need to focus more on supporting manufacturing innovation. One way to do this is to enlist U.S. research universities."

Source: "Morrill at 150: Creating American Manufacturing" by Robert Atkinson

The New England Journal of Higher Education

July 25, 2012