ORIGIN, PURPOSES, AND ACCREDITATION
The University of Kentucky, a state-supported institution, is
located at Lexington, an urban community of about 85,000 popula-
tion. The Board of Trustees includes the Governor, the Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, and the Commissioner of Agriculture,
ex officio, and twelve members appointed by the Governor, three
of whom are alumni of the University and three, members of the
State Board of Agriculture. The University is one of a number
of institutions known as land-grant colleges, which were established
by the Morrill Act of 1862 and which have continued to receive
federal assistance under the provisions of this and subsequent
laws relating to the teaching of agriculture and the mechanic arts
and the provision of agricultural experiment stations and extension
services in agriculture and home economics.
The University of Kentucky began as a part of Kentucky
University under a cooperative plan authorized by the legislature
in 1865. The purpose of this plan was to unite sectarian and pub-
lic education under one organization. This experiment was tried
for a number of years. In the meantime, the federal funds author-
ized under the Morrill Act were used to develop agriculture and
mechanic arts in Kentucky University. In 1878, when the people
of Kentucky decided to establish a state institution of higher learn- ·
ing, the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts was separated
from Kentucky University and reestablished on land given by the
City of Lexington and the County of Fayette. Thirty years later
the legislature changed the name of the institution to the State
University of Kentucky, and gave it additional financial support.
In 1916 the name was again changed, this time to the present title,
and additional maintenance was arranged by legislative act.
The major function of the University is that of instruction.
For the performance of this function it is organized into the College
of Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture and Home Eco-
nomics, the College of Engineering, the College of Law, the
College of Education, the College of Commerce, the College of
Pharmacy, the Graduate School, and the Department of University
Extension.
In addition to giving instruction to its student body, the Uni-
versity contributes to the welfare of the state through research,
_ experimentation, and public service. While all departments make
important contributions along these lines, certain divisions and
bureaus have been established specifically for these purposes.
Included in this group are the Experiment Station and the Exten-
sion Division of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics,
the Bureau of Business Research, the Bureau of Government