INTRODUGTORY. V
 
  GRICULTURAL and Mechanical Colleges in the I
United States owe their origin to an act of Congress,
‘ entitled "An act donating public lands to the several
A 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 go,ooo
`V acres for each Representative in the National Congress.
Under this allotment Kentucky received 330,000 acres.
Several years elapsed before the Commonwealth 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 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—$16_5,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 Col-
leges of said University, was repealed, and a Commission
was appointed to recommend to the Legislature of 1879—‘8o
a plan of organization tor an Institution, including an Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College, such as the necessities of
the Commonwealth require. The city of Lexington offered
to the Commission (which was also authorized to recom-
mend 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 f1fty~two acres of land, within the limits of