The topic of this lecture is building a base of support for research and development in agriculture. First discussed is some of the history of agriculture education in America, including (1) the Morrill Act, which gave public lands to states for agricultural colleges; (2) the Hatch Act, the purpose of which was to promote investigation, experiment, and dissemination of information on agricultural science, and (3) the Smith-Lever Act, which legislated matching funds for extension work to offer practical demonstrations, publications, and other instruction to the public. For approximately the past 100 years the building of a constituency for research and development in agriculture has progressed very slowly. Few students took agricultural courses at first, even when the American economy was largely rural. To build a constituency, research in agriculture must produce something of value to potential constituents, and the results of research must be communicated to them. Discussed are various methods of disseminating information, including publication or research findings, and participation in meetings of commodity organizations. Questions from the audience concern specific accomplishments of research and development in agriculture, ways in which the quality of life of Ohio farmers has improved, and priority-setting. (CD)