THE STATE COLLEGE OF KENTUCKY.
HISTORY.
GRICULTURAL and Mechanical Colleges in the United States
A 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 Common-
wealth established 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 Congressional land V i
grant was to be given for the purpose of carrying on its operations.
The land-scrip had meanwhile been sold for fifty cents per acre, and -
the amount received.-$165,000-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 University, was
repealed, and a Commission was appointed to recommend to the Legis-
lature of 1879-80 a plan of organization for an institution, including
an Agricultural and Mechanical College, such as the necessities of the _
Commonwealth required. The city of Lexington offered to the Com-
mission (which was also authorized to recommend to the General
Assembly the place which, all things considered, offered 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 this city, and thirty thousand dollars of city bonds for the
erection of buildings. This offer 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 offers of the city
of Lexington and of the county of Fayette were accepted by the General
Assembly.
_ By the act of incorporation and the amendments thereto, consti-
tuting the charter of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, A
liberal provision is made for educating, free of tuition, the energetic
young men of the Commonwealth whose means are limited. The
Normal Department, for which provision is also made, is intended to aid ,
in building up the Common School system by furnishing properly qual-
ified teachers. This College, with the additional departments which
will, from time to time, be opened as the means placed at the disposal
_ of the Trustees allow, will, it is hoped, in the not distant future do a