President, University of Kentucky
Established in 1865 under provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky today has approximately 37,500 students in the 15 academic colleges and Graduate School on the central campus in Lexington and in its 13 community colleges.
In 1878, the school separated from Kentucky University and became an independent institution supported by the state, and since 1916 has been known as the University of Kentucky, embodying the functions of teaching, public service and research.
Situated in the famed Blue Grass region of Central Kentucky, the University maintains several research institutes whose work increasingly affects state and nation: the Tobacco and Health Research Institute, the Office of Business Development and Government Services, the Institute for Mining and Minerals Research, and the Water Resources Institute.
It is fully accredited in its respective colleges and departments by all of the major professional societies and educational organizations.
President since 1969 has been Dr. Otis A. Singletary, who came from the University of Texas, Austin, where he was executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. He earlier had been director of the Job Corps program for the Office of Economic Opportunity, and chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
He is the eighth president of the University. Unique recognition of his service to the institution came recently from the UK Alumni Association, which presented him its Alumni Service Awardan honor rarely bestowed upon a non-alumnus of the University.
6