By Blake Jackson
Nancy Cox, retired vice president for land grant engagement at the University of Kentucky and former dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, delivered the 2025 William Henry Hatch Memorial Lecture at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) annual meeting.
The lecture honors Congressman William Henry Hatch, who championed the Agricultural Experiment Station Founding Bill. The Hatch Act of 1887 established Experiment Stations at land-grant universities, enabling research to improve farming practices and address agricultural challenges. Considered foundational to agricultural innovation, the Act supports research that benefits both state and national interests.
“It was an honor to deliver this year’s William Henry Hatch Memorial Lecture,” Cox said. “Congressman Hatch had a simple brilliance about him - creating state and federal partnerships by which land-grants impact the national interest by first serving their states’ individual needs. Thanks to Congressman Hatch, we have a robust research system today anchored by Hatch and other similar capacity funds.”
Cox’s presentation, titled “The Hatch Act of 1887: Central to a Robust System Facing Challenges to its Relevance,” highlighted Hatch’s historical impact and key lessons. She emphasized Hatch’s Kentucky roots. “Mr. Hatch was a son of Kentucky,” Cox said. “We [in Kentucky] claim Abraham Lincoln, too.” She noted that funding decisions made by Experiment Station directors remain critical. “One blessing is that the Experiment Station director decides what is funded,” Cox said.
“From initial funding, Hatch funds have grown due to congressional appropriations and are the cornerstone of research productivity for the Experiment Station system as well as the Cooperative Extension system. At UK, we say that Hatch touches nearly every research project in some way.”
Cox also addressed challenges in higher education, noting declining investment in public agricultural research and waning public confidence. “I believe this data suggests that higher education is starting to lose relevance, and land grants are being asked to become more relevant,” she said.
“The future is bright,” Cox added. “We need to double down on engagement and communication. We need to communicate more as peers and showing that we care, which we all do.”
Cox encouraged sharing the “why” behind research to inspire public understanding and collaboration among universities, governing boards, and Congress. She is the 45th lecturer in the NIFA/APLU Memorial Lecture Series, which began in 1980.
Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky
Categories: Kentucky, Business, Education