The Tennessee Agriculture Hall of Fame, whose commemorative plaques are located in Morgan Hall, was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1937, the first such entity in the nation. Two of the tablets in the display were cast from the dilapidated statue of Mercury, which topped Nashville’s Union Station before a storm in the ’50s caused it to fall and break. Oscar L. Farris was the driving force behind the establishment of the Hall of Fame. The first two named members were William Haskell Neal, originator of Neal’s Paymaster Corn, and Mark R. Cockrill, internationally famous wool producer.
In December 1952 three plaques were added. Dr. Harcourt A. Morgan, former UT president and TVA board member, who died during the year, was included. His selection was based upon his noteworthy contributions to the control of the cattle tick in the South and his outstanding work at UT and TVA. Dr. Marion Dorset, developer of the most successful hog-cholera serum and other important inventions, and the Goodlettsville Lamb and Wool Club were also enshrined. The Goodlettsville Lamb and Wool Club tablet lists the names of 19 farmers who organized the nation’s first cooperative sales association in 1877. Other plaques have been sporadically added.