Today's beloved MSU campus park developed through the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862, which supported the nation's first and premier land-grant college. Since the early days when all MSU buildings were found on The Circle, our leaders have viewed the campus as a testimonial to our institutional success and have devoted great energies to its development. They believed that a school dedicated to the study of agriculture and the mechanic arts with a "liberal and practical" curriculum should be set in an environment reflecting nature as a spiritual and utilitarian resource. They believed as well that the architecture of this institution should reflect the nature of its curriculum. Liberty Hyde Bailey, president and prominent faculty member of Michigan State College, said in an 1885 report that the campus planning scheme, at its most basic, was "picturesque" - a romantic delight in irregular and fluid natural arrangements rather than in hierarchical patterns. This approach to planning met demands until the turn of the 19th century. The plan included the series of buildings that we now call Laboratory Row. Remarkably, these buildings all still stand and remain viable as academic buildings. As President Peter McPherson stated recently when speaking of the Laboratory Row Campus Heritage Project: "I am supportive of what we are planning for Laboratory Row because I support the preservation of these special reminders of our past. Alumni of Michigan State University, as well as the students, faculty, and staff who are here today, cherish the physical beauty of our campus as well as its historic significance as America's first Land Grant College. This translates into recognition that there are buildings on campus significant to our past, and that in keeping them preserved and in active use, they enrich our lives. These irreplaceable resources reflect many aspects of MSU's early life. They help us remember who we are, reflect both our accomplishments and shortcomings, and, if we steward them well, carry our legacy forward so that future students, faculty, and staff will know us. "As MSU, its alumni, and its constituents approach the celebration of this great university's 150th anniversary, the buildings of Laboratory Row resound with a clear and commanding message from the past. Our heritage has been founded in advancing knowledge and transforming lives, the theme of The Campaign for MSU, and we seek to keep our eyes on that heritage as we plan and prepare for the future. "I sincerely welcome your assistance and support of the restoration efforts we have planned for Laboratory Row."