Chapter One
B G C l( 8 YO U U d
ONLY SIX DECADES after George Rogers Clark landed
at the Falls of the Ohio River the University of Louisville
was created. The men and women who guided the develop-
ment of Louisville during these intervening years brought
with them into the wilderness a foundation of cultural heritage
and a background in which the university readily took root.
The university celebrated its centennial in 1937 as the
oldest municipal university in America. It is only necessary
to examine the social background and community interests of
old families associated with Louisville’s history to understand
the genesis and the development of her modern municipal uni-
versity. Directly and indirectly their social and cultural at-
tributes and those of their descendants have been woven into
the spiritual, if not the tangible, evolution of the university.
The names of men who first served on its board of managers
are still household words to the residents of the city. Indeed,
they, their associates, and their descendants symbolize the
culture of old Louisville. With each passing generation a
host of others have made their contributions, and as the history
of the university unfolds, the spirit of Louisville is revealed.
The men of prominence who constituted the first board
of trustees of the university represented a community leader-
ship that was forward looking, and alert to create cultural and
professional opportunities for the youth of Louisville. Their
V 1