The Smith-Lever Act formally established the national Cooperative Extension Service May 8, 1914. The legislation created a unique partnership between county, state and federal governments, and provides funding through land-grant schools to expand vocational, agricultural, and home and family programs beyond the university.

In Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and Langston University engage in Extension outreach activities. The OSU campus in Stillwater is the state headquarters for the organization and OSU Cooperative Extension offices are located in all 77 Oklahoma counties.

Approximately 600 Extension employees work in Oklahoma, including about 350 in county, area or district offices and roughly 250 based on campus in Stillwater.

Extension personnel engage in an average of 1.6 million total contacts with Oklahomans annually through a wide variety of programming areas such as agriculture, family and consumer sciences, community and economic development, environmental stewardship, natural resource management, local government education and Oklahoma 4-H youth development.

In honor of its milestone anniversary, Extension hosted a Whistle Stop and Festival in April and produced “One Hundred Years of Oklahoma Extension,” an hour-long documentary about the organization’s history and lasting impact, which aired on OETA-TV this past spring.

Other centennial activities included sponsoring the quilt block challenge, hosting birthday parties every county in the state, publishing a special edition cookbook and recognition at an OSU football game with the band forming the land-grant triangle and the number 100 during its halftime performance.

As a capstone event, Extension personnel contributed letters and other items to two time capsules that will be opened in 25 and 100 years.

For more information about Extension, go to www.oces.okstate.edu.