How Auburn Outmaneuvered Florence for the Land Grant College

 

Per requests, we asked Gemini to give us the whole story on this "steal":

Auburn Chosen Over Florence for Alabama's Land-Grant College in 1872 After Legislative Maneuvering

In a closely watched decision in February 1872, the Alabama State Legislature selected Auburn as the site for the state's new land-grant college, an institution mandated by the federal Morrill Act of 1862. This outcome followed a "lively debate" and ultimately saw a minority report of a legislative selection committee, which favored Auburn, adopted over a majority report that had reportedly considered Florence the "most viable option."

The Morrill Act entitled Alabama to 240,000 acres of federal land to establish a college focused on agriculture and the mechanic arts. Several locations vied for the new institution, with Florence in Lauderdale County and Auburn in Lee County emerging as the primary contenders. Florence was proposed by Lauderdale County representative B.F. Taylor and was home to Florence Wesleyan University (which became the State Normal School at Florence later in 1872). Auburn's bid, championed by locals including Sheldon Toomer and J.L. Pennington, centered on the existing, albeit financially struggling, East Alabama Male College.

Special committees were formed by the legislature in December 1871 to evaluate the proposals and recommend a location. While Florence was initially seen by some as the stronger candidate, Auburn's offer to donate the entire campus, including land and buildings, of the East Alabama Male College proved to be a decisive factor. This existing infrastructure, despite the college's financial difficulties, provided a tangible starting point for the new land-grant institution.

The political climate of the Reconstruction era also played a significant role. The Republican-controlled state legislature and governorship ultimately made the decision. On February 13, 1872, the legislature opted to support the minority committee report advocating for Auburn. The bill officially designating Auburn as the site for the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University) was passed on February 24, 1872.

While specific details of the majority and minority committee reports and the full scope of the legislative debates are not readily available in easily accessible public records today, historical accounts indicate that Auburn's tangible offer of existing facilities was a compelling argument. Key individuals like Sheldon Toomer, who had deep ties to Auburn as an alumnus, future faculty member, prominent businessman (founder of Toomer's Drugs and the Bank of Auburn), and eventual local and state politician, likely played a crucial role in advocating for Auburn's selection.

In contrast, while Florence had an existing institution in Florence Wesleyan University, the specific resources it could offer or commit to the land-grant college's particular focus on agricultural and mechanical education, as compared to Auburn's outright donation of its college campus, may have been perceived as less advantageous by the legislators who voted in favor of the minority report. The exact financial condition and suitability of Florence Wesleyan University for this new role, in the eyes of the decision-makers, versus the immediate availability of the East Alabama Male College campus, likely tipped the scales in Auburn's favor.

Thus, Florence lost the bid for Alabama's land-grant college due to a combination of Auburn's strategic donation of existing infrastructure, effective advocacy by its proponents, and the prevailing political dynamics within the Reconstruction-era Alabama Legislature that led to the adoption of the minority committee report.