Extension

In 1939, William Ives, who had a masters degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State, was appointed as the first Agricultural Engineering Extension Specialist. He was a member of the Agricultural Extension staff, but was provided with office space in the building, and collaborated closely with staff members.

In 1965, extension personnel were integrated into the department under the direction of the head. This allowed extension personnel to participate in research. Extension methods and programs were still handled by the Director of the Agricultural Extension Service.

In the 1970s, there was a marked expansion in the extension areas of irrigation and water quality. During the past decade, there has been a move towards adding personnel with joint extension-research appointments.