Was Davidson a land-grant college?
No, Davidson was not a land-grant college.
The Morrill Act of 1862 provided funds from the sale of Federal land to encourage and assist states to establish schools to teach agricultural and industrial classes and also military tactics. Davidson College was founded as a liberal arts college in 1837 and did not require military training.
This question often comes up with respect to the institution of military training, and the subsequent R.O.T.C. program in the early 20th century. The R.O.T.C. program at Davidson has its origins in the S.A.T.C. (Student Army Training Corps) program during World War I. This was separate training from regular coursework and provided extra funds, as well as a way, for the college to contribute to the nation's war efforts. The SATC program was ended in 1918 and the army decided to create ROTC in 1919. Davidson decided to be part of that program and as a result, required students to take two years of Military Science courses. This requirement ended soon after the Vietnam War.