A study was made of the antecedents and the results to date (1968) of the merger of Agricultural Extension, General Extension, and educational broadcasting at the University of Wisconsin. This was finally achieved in 1963 by President Fred Harvey Harrington. The struggle between efforts to to maintain a traditional liberal arts orientation and efforts to expand and emphasize practical, applied arts and sciences was traced, beginning with the short courses and the Farmers' Institutes of the late 1800's. Major changes and points of conflict included the rise of Agricultural Extension, aided by the increasingly popular College of Agriculture, from 1914 until after World War II; the shift of General Extension to fee-charging off-campus and correspondence courses within a relatively formal academic program; a change of Agricultural Extension emphasis from agricultural education to Four-H and other urban extension services; and increased General Extension involvement during the 1950's and 1960's in broad, problem-oriented, foundation-supported regional development programs. It was concluded that, with the merger, university resources had been effectively concentrated for public service outreach. (ly)