Seaman Knapp, a civil servant from New York, is inducted for his work that established the foundation for the United States County Extension Agent System.

Dr. Knapp’s experience as publisher of a farm magazine, President of Iowa State College, and founding president of the Iowa Improved Stock Breeder’s Association prepared him to carry out his vision of a balanced educational approach between theory and practical application.

During 1903, Knapp was sent to Terrell, Texas by the USDA to introduce agricultural practices for combating the cotton boll weevil. There he proposed that theory and technique were best learned when students actually carried out the work in addition to classroom study.

He persuaded the town of Terrell to cover any losses that might be incurred by a local farmer trying a new tillage method. When this widely publicized demonstration was a resounding success, others were eager to adopt the project.

The replication of this project led to the creation of the Farmers’ Cooperative Extension Office through the USDA. The “learning by doing” education principle was also merged with the County Extension Agent System and 4-H programs.