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UK History Encyclopedia

by Frank Stanger

The "University of Kentucky History Encyclopedia" is intended as a compendium of narrative and descriptive essays about persons, places, events, institutions, and ideas relating to the history of the University of Kentucky. The "Encyclopedia" is planned as a cumulative and ongoing research and writing project. Its initial article--on the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862--follows.

OUTLINE

Pre-history

Founding: 1865

  • Agricultural & Mechanical College
  • Founding: establishment by Kentucky Legislature
  • Organization
  • Original buildings
  • Kentucky University
  • Founding
  • Organization Relationship to A&M College
  • John Bryan Bowman: biographical

Early history: 1865-1878

  • Kentucky University
  • Denominational and theological quarrels and controversies
  • Financial problems and setbacks
  • Agricultural & Mechanical College
  • John Augustus Williams: biographical
  • Joseph Desha Pickett: biographical
  • James Kennedy Patterson (as Presiding Officer)
  • Important faculty members
  • Curricular development
  • First graduates: William B. and Thomas V. Munson: biographical
  • Separation of A&M College from Kentucky University

Independence: Presidency of James Kennedy Patterson: 1878-1910

  • James Kennedy Patterson: biographical
  • Move to site of City Park/ Fairgrounds
  • Original buildings: (information readily available elsewhere)
  • Initial financial difficulties
  • Faculty members
  • Curriculum
  • Establishment of academic departments
  • Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Establishment
  • Melville A. Scovell (first Director): biographical Normal School
  • Admission of women Lenora Hoeing: first woman admitted to (instruction): biographical
  • Arabella (Belle) Clement Gunn (first woman graduate): biographical Academy
  • Walter Kennedy Patterson (Principal): biographical
  • Student life
  • First social fraternities
  • Manners, mores, social rules and regulations
  • Social life of students
  • Student newspapers
  • State College Cadet The Idea
  • Colleges
  • Agriculture
  • Arts & Sciences
  • Education (as college) "State University, Lexington Kentucky": name change
  • Athletics programs
  • Baseball
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Men's basketball
  • Women's basketball Military Science (Cadet) program
  • Marching band
  • Adoption of college colors: blue and white
  • Adoption of mascot: wildcat
  • Buildings erected (information readily available elsewhere)
  • Controversy over public funding of higher education
  • Library
  • Margaret I. King: biographical

Presidency of Henry Stites Barker: 1911-1917

  • Henry Stites Barker: biographical
  • Conflict with Patterson
  • Strengthening of College of Agriculture
  • Establishment of academic departments
  • Education
  • Graduate School
  • Journalism "University of Kentucky": name change
  • Beginnings of Student Government
  • World War I and the campus
  • Beginnings of Kentucky Kernel

Presidency of Frank L. McVey (1917-1940)

  • Frank L. McVey: biographical
  • World War I and the campus
  • University placed on firm academic footing
  • Genesis of many academic departments
  • Recruitment of competent faculty
  • General enhancement of academic standards and programs
  • First PhD. recipients
  • Establishment of Colleges of Education, Commerce
  • Evolution controversy
  • Buildings erected (information readily available elsewhere)
  • Great Depression and the campus
  • [Administrative] Reorganization Act of 1934
  • Library
  • Carnegie Library: institutional development
  • 1931 Library: institutional development
  • Basketball program: increasing prominence
  • Adolph Rupp: biographical

Presidency of Herman L. Donovan (1941-1956)

  • Herman L. Donovan: biographical
  • World War II and the campus
  • Immediate post-war period and the campus
  • Building program
  • Formation of University Press
  • Genesis of Medical Center
  • Genesis of Community College System
  • Establishment of Northern Center
  • Genesis of University Extension
  • Rapid growth of Graduate Program
  • Integration of the University
  • Lyman Johnson: biographical
  • Basketball: increasing prominence
  • SEC, NCAA championships
  • 1952 point-shaving scandal Organization of Alumni Association
  • Donovan Scholars Program
  • Organization of Alumni Association
  • Establishment of College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor Lectureship

Presidency of Frank G. Dickey (1956-1963)

  • Frank G. Dickey: biographical
  • Major increase in enrollment
  • Major physical growth
  • Extensive building and building renovation program
  • Extensive addition of land Medical Center: early years
  • Further genesis of Community College System
  • Establishment of off-campus centers
  • Continued enhancement of academic programs and standards
  • International educational programs
  • Frank Peterson controversy

Presidency of John W. Oswald (1963-1968)

  • John W. Oswald: biographical
  • Centennial celebration
  • Effective establishment of Community College System
  • Improvement in faculty and staff benefits
  • President's Progress Fund
  • Physical expansion and renovation
  • Grants to aid research and teaching
  • Acceleration of research
  • Effective beginning of Donovan Scholars Program
  • Student participation in University governance
  • First student member of Board of Trustees
  • Origins of development, as organized program
  • Hiring of first full-time fundraiser
  • Free Speech controversy
  • Academic reform
  • Establishment of revolving departmental chairmanships
  • Change from quarter to semester system

Presidency of Albert D. Kirwan (1968-1969)

  • Albert D. Kirwan: biographical
  • Improved relations between University and public, alumni, state government
  • Peacemaking role
  • Physical expansion and renovation
  • Student protest
  • Caretaker presidency

Presidency of Otis A. Singletary (1969-1987)

  • Otis A. Singletary: biographical
  • Relations with other state-supported universities
  • University of Louisville merger proposal
  • Student protest and unrest
  • Code of Student Conduct
  • Establishment of Center on Aging
  • Private funding emphasized
  • Establishment of Gaines Center for the Humanities
  • Establishment of Honors Program
  • Buildings erected (information readily available elsewhere)
  • Administrative reorganization
  • Growth of Library (2,000,000th volume)
  • Establishment of Markey Cancer Center
  • Establishment of Equine Research Center
  • Establishment of Robotics Center
  • Growth of Development Program
  • General enhancement of research
  • Free Speech controversy
  • First Five-Year Plan

Presidency of David P. Roselle (1987-1989)

  • David P. Roselle: biographical
  • Budget shortfall and general conflict with Governor and State Legislature
  • Basketball
  • 1988 scandal and NCAA investigation
  • Cliff Hagan
  • Eddie Sutton
  • Rick Pitino Information technology emphasized and updated
  • Enhancement of research

Presidency of Charles T. Wethington (1990-2001)

  • Charles T. Wethington: biographical
  • First comprehensive Capital Campaign
  • Separation of Community College System from University system
  • Revision of method of selecting Board of Trustees members
  • Enhancement of research
  • Coldstream Farm developed as research campus
  • Kentucky Education Reform Act: origins in College of Education
  • Construction and opening of William T. Young Library
  • Administration Building fire
  • NCAA basketball championships (!996, 1998)
  • Football recruiting scandal

Presidency of Lee T. Todd (2001- )

A list (by no means comprehensive) of persons suggested for inclusion in the encyclopedia, in addition to those mentioned in the Outline, follows:

  • Albright, A. (Arnold) D.
  • Anderson, F. Paul
  • Barnhart, Charles
  • Betts, Raymond F.
  • Blanding, Sarah G.
  • Blazer family
  • Bosomworth, Peter
  • Boyd, Paul P
  • Briggs, Wallace N.
  • Bryant, Paul ("Bear")
  • Bryant, T. (Thomson) R.
  • Chamberlain, Leo
  • Chambers, John Sharpe
  • Claiborne, Jerry
  • Clark, Thomas D.
  • Cone, Carl B.
  • Cooper, Thomas Poe
  • Erikson, Statie
  • Evans, Alvin
  • Forth, Stuart
  • Frazee, David
  • Funkhouser, William D.
  • Gaines, John R.
  • Ginger, Lyman
  • Graham, James Hiram
  • Grehan, Enoch
  • Hall, Jack
  • Hamilton, Anna J.
  • Haselden, Jane
  • Hatch, John
  • Holmes, Sarah Bennett
  • Kastle, Joseph Hoeing
  • Kinkead, William B.
  • Lafferty, William T.
  • Lampert, Carl
  • Lewis, Mildred
  • Lipscomb, William Nunn
  • Little, Lucille Caudill
  • McFarland, Arthur J.
  • McKenna, Marion
  • McVey, Frances Jewell
  • Miller, Arthur M.
  • Morgan, Thomas Hunt
  • Mulligan, James Henry
  • Nunn, Louie B.
  • Patrick, Wellington
  • Patterson, Walter Kennedy
  • Peal, W. Hugh
  • Peter, Alfred M.
  • Peter, Robert
  • Pryor, J (Joseph) W.
  • Rannells, Edward W.
  • Seward, Doris
  • Shackelford, John, Jr.
  • Slone, Earl P.
  • Stahr, Elvis J.
  • Stoll, Richard C.
  • Sulzer, Elmer
  • Taylor, William S.
  • Terrell, Daniel V.
  • Thompson, Lawrence S.
  • Welch, Frank
  • Wetzel, Harold
  • White, James Garrard
  • White, Martin M.
  • Wilkinson, Doris
  • Willard, William R.
  • Willis, Paul
  • Young, William T.
  • Zinser, Elizabeth