V, I INTRODUCTORY. 3
Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges in the
United States owe their origin to an act of Con-
C gress, entitled ”An act donating public lands to
the several States and Territories which may proe
vide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and
the mechanic arts,” approved July 2, 1862. The
amount of land donated was 30,000 acres dor each
Representative in the National Congress» Under
this allotment, Kentucky received 550,000 acres.
Several years elapsed before the Commonwealth es-
tablished an Agricultural and Mechanical College
under the act. When established, it was not
placed upon an independent basis, but made one of
the Colleges of .Kentucky University, to which in
stitution the annual interest of the proceeds of
the Congressional land grant were to be given for
the purpose of carrying on its operations. The
land scrip had meanwhile been sold for fifty cent
. per acre, and the amount received ·- $165,000 ··
’ invested in six per cent. Kentucky State bonds, o
which the State became the custodian in trust fox
the College.
· The connection with Kentucky University conti
ued till 1878, when the act of 1865, making it on
of the Colleges of said University, was repealed,
, and a commission appointed to recommend to the Le
islature of 1879-'80 a plan of organization for a
Agricultural and Mechanical College such as the
necessities of the Commonwealth require. The
city of Lexington offered to the Commission , whi
was also authorized to recommend to the General A
sembly the place, which, all things considered, o
fered the best and greatest inducements for the
future and permanent location of the College, the
City Park, containing fifty·two acres of land,
within the limits of the city, and thirty thousan
dollars in city bonds for the erection of buildin
This offer the county of Fayette supplemented by
twenty thousand dollars in county bonds, to be us
either for the erection of buildings or for the
purchase of land. The offer s of the city of