<Li> Introduced in the House by William H. Hatch (D - MO) </Li> <Li> Signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on March 2, 1887 </Li> <P> The Hatch Act of 1887 (ch. 314, 24 Stat. 440, enacted 1887 - 03 - 02, 7 U.S.C. § 361a et seq .) gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land - grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth . The bill was named for Congressman William Hatch, who chaired the House Committee of Agriculture at the time the bill was introduced . State agricultural stations created under this act were usually connected with those land - grant state colleges and universities founded under the Morrill Act of 1862, with few exceptions . </P> <P> Many stations founded under the Hatch Act later became the foundations for state cooperative extension services under the Smith - Lever Act of 1914 . </P>

What was the purpose of the hatch act of 1887