INTRODUCTORY.
` Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges in the United States A
owe their origin to an act of Congress, entitled "An act donat-
ing public lands to the several States and Territories which may
provide colleges for the benetit of agriculture and the mechanic
· arts," approved July 2, 1862. The amount of land donated
was 30,000 acres for each Representative in the National Con-
gress. Under this allotment Kentucky received 330,000 acres.
Several years elapsed before the Commonwealth established an
Agricultural and Mechanical College under the act. VVhen es-
tablished it was not placed upon an independent basis, but was
made one of the Colleges of Kentucky University, to which In-
stitution the annual interest of the proceeds of the Congres-
sional land grant was to be given for the purpose of carrying
on its operations. The land scrip had meanwhile been sold for I
fifty cents per acre, and the amount received—8165,000—in-
vested in six per cent. Kentucky State bonds, of which the
State became the custodian in trust for the College. ·
The connection with Kentucky University continued till 1878, " I
A when the act of 1865, making it one of the Colleges of said
University, was repealed, and a Commission was appointed to
l recommend to the Legislature of 1879—80 a plan of organization
for an Institution, including an Agricultural and Mechanical
College, such as the necessities of the Commonwealth require.
The city of Lexington offered to the Commission (which was
also authorized to recommend to the General Assembly the
place, which, all things considered, odered the best and greatest I
inducements for the future and permanent location of the Col- ' ·
lege) the City Park, containing lifty-two acres of land, within