Cornell Cooperative Extension director Helene Dillard and faculty members Scott Peters and Jane Mt. Pleasant discussed Ruby Green Smith's book "The Peoples Colleges: A History of the New York State Extension Service in Cornell University and the State, 1876-1948" Sept. 26, 2013 as part of the library's Chats in the Stacks series.
Written more than 60 years ago, the book was re-released by Fall Creek Books in 2013 to celebrate Cornell's sesquicentennial.
Dillard, Peters and Mt. Pleasant review Smith's writings, highlighting the impact and significance of the extension mission, critically assessing historic tensions between extension service and New York's Native American communities, and suggesting lessons for Cooperative Extension's future in New York State.