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sf U?)  GRICULTURAL and Mechanical Colleges in _
  l•{‘   the United States owe their origin to an act of —
’°;,,§, 4,;i` Congress entitled "An act donating publiclands
W i to the several States and Territories which may
provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the me-
chanics arts;" approved july 2, 1862. The amount of land
donated was 3,0,000 acres for each Representative in the
National Congress. Under this allotment Kentucky re-
ceived 33,0,000 acres. Several years elapsed before the
Commonwealth established an Agricultural and Mechan-
ical College under the act. Whe11?’established it was not
placed upon an independent basis, but was made one of
i the Colleges of Kentucky University, to which Institution
the annual interest of the proceeds of the Congressional
l x land grant was to be given for the purpose of carrying on
its operations. The land-scrip had meanwhile been sold
for iifty cents per acre, and the amount received——$165,-
o0o—invested in six per cent. Kentucky State bonds, of
which the State became custodian in trust for the College.
The connection with Kentucky University continued _
till 1878, when the act of 1865, making it one of the Col-
leges of said University, was repealed, and a Commission
` ` was appointed to recommend to the Legislature of 1870-
80 a plan of organization for an institution, including an
Agricultural and Mechanical College, such as the necessi- .
ties of the Commonwealth require. The city of Lexing-
ton offered to the Commission (which was also authorized
to recommend to the General Assembly the place, which,
all things considered, offered the best and greatest induce-
ments for the future and permanent location of the Col-
lege) the City Park, containing fifty-two acres of land,
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