Max C. Fleischmann College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station Records

The Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station began soon after the establishment of the University of Nevada, thanks to the Hatch Act in 1887. The act provided an annual appropriation of $15,000 to each state to establish a nation-wide system of experiment stations to conduct agricultural research appropriate to their respective geographical needs. Limited funds for the new university in Nevada caused University President LeRoy Brown to serve as the Director of the Experiment Station in 1888, and its staff were university personnel. The Board of Regents of the University also served as the Board of Control of the Experiment Station. This arrangement continued through the administration of Brown's successors, Stephen Jones and Joseph E. Stubbs. The Experiment Station gained a 60-acre farm in Washoe County, and became a distinct unit supported by its own funds and staff in 1912. In 1913, Samuel B. Doten was appointed Director, a position he held until he retired in 1946.

After Doten's retirement, Charles E. Fleming became director until his retirement in 1960. During his period as director, the station merged with the College of Agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service. After 1960, the Experiment Station came under the leadership of Ray E. Ely. In the 1950s, Dean of the College of Agriculture John Bertrand received funds from the Max Fleischmann Foundation of Nevada to construct new buildings for the College, which physically joined the College, Experiment Station, and Cooperative Extension.

In the latter half of the 20th century, subsequent leaders of the Experiment Station and the College turned their attention towards bringing instruction and programming into balance with the research efforts, and incorporated newer fields of expertise to the curriculum. The Experiment Station is now "directed toward the advancement of agriculture through biotechnological development, the preservation and management of natural resources, and the nutritional and social aspects of urban life." [note paraphrased from Experiment Station "History of Experiment Station" webpage https://naes.unr.edu/history.aspx]