A native of Massachusetts, Alvord had served as a major in the Confederate army. He did not attend college but was a widely-respected dairy scientist. He was a professor at the Massachusetts Agricultural College and chief founder of the American Association of Land Grant Colleges.

In his new role at Maryland, he emphasized serving the farm population by restructuring the curriculum around agriculture. He eliminated the prep school and the engineering course and greatly reduced entrance requirements. He had the support of farmers as well as federal funding.

The College experienced little growth, however, due to its narrow agricultural focus. The trustees pressured him to resign, and he subsequently served as president of the Oklahoma Agriculture and Mechanical College and as head of the dairy division of the United States Department of Agriculture.

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