Cook College is the land-grant college of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. It was created in 1973 and named in honor of George Hammel Cook (1818-1889), a renowned geologist and teacher at what was then called the Rutgers Scientific School. Cook College expanded the focus of its predecessors, including the College of Agriculture and then the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science.
From 1973 to 1982 Cook was a multipurpose college that offered liberal arts curricula, such as chemistry and anthropology, as well as specialized programs related to agriculture, food, natural resources, and the environment. It was designated a professional school by the Board of Governors of Rutgers in 1982 as part of a major reorganization of the New Brunswick campus. As a professional school, Cook refocused its curricula on the land-grant mission of educational scholarship designed to develop knowledge and skills that will enable students and the public to address challenges facing society in the areas of agriculture, food, the environment, and natural resources. In contrast to the other colleges of Rutgers-New Brunswick, which are served by a central Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Cook College has its own faculty and student body.
Cook College is closely affiliated with the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES), which is mandated by the state to conduct mission-oriented research and outreach to address the needs of its residents as they relate to agriculture, natural resources, and human and community development. Although they are technically separate institutions, Cook and NJAES are part of a national land- grant system of colleges and universities that, by virtue of the 1862 Morrill Act, have a mission and mandate to serve residents, businesses, and communities through teaching, research, and outreach.
