Justin Smith Morrill

Biography

Justin Smith Morrill rose from modest Vermont beginnings to become a seasoned legislator who believed that education could transform rural life. After serving in the State Senate and House of Representatives, he spent decades in the U.S. Senate, where colleagues trusted his steady intellect and sincere concern for the public good.

His sponsorship of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts opened the doors of higher education to countless young people across the nation, and his thoughtful advocacy for fair tariffs and infrastructure helped sustain towns like Strafford, where he now rests in Strafford Cemetery.