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Our History: The Dyson School

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Our History: The Dyson School Throughout the Decades

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management has a rich and storied history—and has made a profound impact on multiple industries and fields of study.

Celebrating Our Agricultural Roots

We can’t look at the Dyson School’s history without zooming back a bit further. Founded in 1865 as a land-grant institution, Cornell University has offered agricultural courses and programs since the beginning.

Black and white aerial photo of the Ag Quad on the Cornell campus.

The Hatch Act of 1887 established research farms across the United States, and a year later, Cornell’s Department of Agriculture merged with several science departments, including botany, entomology, and veterinary medicine, to form the College of Agriculture, the first home of what is now the Dyson School. This union set the stage for decades of interdisciplinary learning across Cornell departments, schools, and colleges.

As agricultural economics and farm management emerged into fields of their own right, business offerings grew in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The original Department of Farm Management underwent several name changes as the academic offerings and the industry evolved.

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  • 1909

    Agricultural economics major is established

  • 1911

    Dept. of Farm Management forms

  • 1919

    New name: Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management

  • 1971

    “Life Sciences” is added to college name, becoming CALS

  • 1994

    New name:  Dept. of Agricultural, Resource, and Managerial Economics

Becoming a School, Broadening Our Focus

What was once an agriculture-centered program broadened in focus, eventually becoming a school of its own.

Man in suit points at a chart on a projector screen.

After nearly a century of providing expert instruction in agricultural economics and farm management, the academic unit continued to expand its offerings. This led to a new name—the Department of Applied Economics and Management—that would better reflect the evolving landscape and accommodate future growth.

In 2010, the Department of Applied Economics and Management became its own school, named for Charles H. Dyson, whose family had established a $25 million endowment to support applied economics management (AEM) programming.

With the Dyson School’s combined focus on business and agriculture, it was a natural fit for the newly formed Cornell College of Business in 2016.

Today, this unique arrangement between two colleges gives Dyson School students an incredible range of interdisciplinary and experiential learning opportunities.

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  • 2001

    New name: Dept. of Applied Economics and Management 

  • 2010

    Charles H. Dyson School forms within CALS

  • 2016

    Dyson becomes a shared school between CALS and the newly formed Cornell College of Business

  • 2017

    College becomes the SC Johnson College of Business after a historic $150 million gift from H. Fisk Johnson

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Discover More About the Dyson School’s History

As a land-grant institution, Cornell University has influenced not only the agricultural industry across New York state, but also the livelihoods of state residents. Faculty members and friends of the Dyson School have contributed their knowledge, experience, funding, and time to make the school what it is today.

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Our Namesake: Charles H. Dyson

Charles H. Dyson (1909-1997) was an entrepreneur, a trusted government advisor, and a philanthropist. He founded the Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corp. and was a pioneer in leveraged buyouts. The Dyson Foundation focuses on supporting nonprofits and residents of New York’s Hudson Valley

Meet Charles H. Dyson

Further Reading: Cornell’s Influence on Agricultural Economics and Farm Management

The influence early faculty members—and Cornell as a whole—had on the agricultural industry is captured in two books, both authored by Professor Emeritus Bernard F. “Bud” Stanton.

An Influential Leader: George F. Warren

The biography George F. Warren: Farm Economist tells the story of the farm management pioneer, international leader, and namesake of Cornell’s Warren Hall.

Download Book (PDF)

An Industry Reflection: Agricultural Economics

The book Agricultural Economics at Cornell: A History, 1900-1990 covers, decade by decade, nearly a century of contributions made to research, education, and extension.

Download Book (PDF)

There’s More to the Dyson School Story

Now that you’ve read about our history, we invite you to learn more about our current programs, impact, and outreach.

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