It was created by the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 to promote nationwide vocational education for students interested in agriculture, industry, and home-economics.
It dedicated land obtained by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to be used for colleges that taught mechanics and agriculture.
It was introduced by Georgia Senator Hoke Smith and Representative Dudley Hughes and signed by President Woodrow Wilson February 23, 1917.
The George-Barden Act of 1946 was introduced by Georgia Senator Walter F. George and North Carolina Representative Graham A. Barden and signed by President Harry Truman.
[4] It improved the Smith-Hughs Act by incorporating the state to nation rural and farm population ratio[4] With the passage of this act, the Smith-Hughs Act—and consequently the Federal Board for Vocational Education—disbanded due to opposing politics and organizational difficulties from within.