THE STATE COLLEGE OF KENTUCKY.
V, _T_.......
i HISTORY.
GRICULTURAL and Mechanical Colleges in the United
2 A States owe their origin to an act of Congress, entitled "An
act Donating Public Lands to the several States and Territories
which may provide Colleges for the benefit 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
Congress. Under this allotment Kentucky received 330,000
acres. Several years elapsed before the Commonwealth estab-
lished an Agricultural and Mechanical College under the act.
When established it was not placed upon an independent basis,
but was made one of the Colleges of Kentucky University, to
· which institution the annual interest of the proceeds of the Con- ..
gressional land grant was to be given for the purpose of carrying
on its operations. The land-scrip had meanwhile been sold for
nfty cents per acre, and the amount received—$165,ooo—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 Colleges of said Uni-
versity, was repealed, and a Commission was appointed to rec-
ommend to the Legislature of 1879-80 a pla11 of organization for
an institution, including an Agricultural and Mechanical College,
such as the necessities of the Commonwealth required. The
city of Lexington oiTered 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 College), the
City Park, containing nity-two acres of land, within the limits of
  this city, and thirty thousand dollars in city bonds, for the erec- __
tion of buildings. This oiTer the county of Fayette supplemented
by twenty thousand dollars in county bonds, to be used either
for the erection of buildings or for the purchase of land. The
oifers of the city of Lexington and of the county of Fayette
were accepted by the General Assembly.