Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is the keynote speaker at an event Tuesday to mark the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act.
President Lincoln signed the legislation into law back on July 2, 1862. The law established funding for public colleges and universities through federal land grants.
Gates, through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has become a leading voice in education reform. His foundation supports educational programs at all levels. Gates encouraged university presidents to innovate to meet the needs of today's college students.
The event is being hosted by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).