Isaac Phillips Roberts

Born in Seneca County, New York, in 1833, Isaac Phillips Roberts grew up on farms in New York and later in Indiana. His own autobiographical writings describe those early years in detail, tracing how farm work, self-education, and persistence shaped the course of his life.

Roberts became an important figure in agricultural education at Cornell University, where he is described as the first dean of its College of Agriculture. He was known for arguing that farming should be taught with both practical experience and careful scientific study, helping to build a stronger foundation for modern agricultural instruction.

He also wrote about farming and rural life, including Autobiography of a Farm Boy, which looks back on the nineteenth-century world he knew firsthand. Roberts died in 1928, leaving a legacy tied to both the history of American farming and the growth of university-based agricultural education.