t
1 T H Ee
search committee’s recommendation 0n winning football season. That, institution, had been of concern to I
May 27, 1969. unfortunately, did not happen. In any Frankfort. Nebulous proposals for
The Singeltarys at once cleared up a case, the Singletarys revealed dealing with the problems concerned
point of concern in those days. Threats themselves as enthusiastic, genuine fans the University of Kentucky. One of the
to Maxwell Place by a projected library of intercollegiate athletics, a plus proposals, considering the merger of ~=
expansion unsettled many among the among most friends of UK. the two institutions, presented
public, especially alumni and One who was close to Singletary in irreconcilable difficulties. Looming
townspeople, During the preceding &ClIl'1il"liStI‘21tiOD afiirms that in his first ahead was the 1970 session ofthe
year the Kirwang had temporarily year, the new president seemed General Assembly with its tradition of
rissooged those {ears by reopening the comfortable with the way things were political solutions for higher education
doors and turning on the lights of going. If the statement refers to the problems. Heeding mounting
deserted Maxwell l>leiee_ The board left internal operations of the University sentiment, the legislature brought
it up to the new president to ehoose generally, it omits specific reference to Louisville into the state system with a
between living at Maxwell plaee or off certain tensions in the medical center separate identity, budget and board,
ernnpns Certain eonipns ggeneies and with the basketball coach who but with a mission more restricted than
dmoled at the possibility of setting was bcgrudgingly approaching that of UK. In that session the
themselves up in the revered old house, 1`€fif€m€Ht Hg€· legislature also elevated UK’s Northern
But the Singletarys decided to live in If it refers to other matters that were Kentucky Community College to a .
the traditional president”s home, imposing th€IT1S€lV€S during that fiI`St free-standing, four-year university,
revealing a keen appreciation of alumni year, the statement is little short of Because the total appropriation for  
and local feelings. Their decision amazing. Events of the late ’60s were higher education was not increased ¢
calmed apprehensions. As much as disturbing to well-wishers of the sufficiently to fund the existing ‘
anything else the Singletarys could have University. They would have severely institutions adequately, let alone the
done so early in their tenure at UK, shaken 21 less resilient 3Hd S&l1gui¤€ ‘two new ones, money was squeezed
that decision won friends and person in the first year of a presidency. from the budget requests of the six
influenced people favorably. In the early years of the Singletary existing state universities, leaving them
The only other thing that Cguld have administration the question of the with only token increases.
been so influential in getting them off i`U[U1”€ of the Uf1iV€fSitY of L0l1iSVill€, 3 The University of Kentucky suffered
to a good start would have been a financially stricken, municipal—county the most. Where formerly it received
V . i . stij ··r,v ti, i.,,j   about 62 percent of the state’s total
i — I   =ii   outlay for higher education, the
V I I , . it {   proportion declined after 1970 to about
  .,»   .   * i 4-2 percent.
  — Coming so soon after the budget cut `
‘ :r_r   Ii _ » of 1967, this one ushered in a decade
,_.·'¤;   I   ·' and a half of financial stringency. V
it     I Even though the period of prosperity
.;,,  _ ·"   · for UK in the mid—sixties was unusual,
p \   3 {   )   1 nevertheless, in that brief time people
_;‘ , I i     _   somehow persuaded themselves that lt
    _ `  .     W   was permanent. The experience of the
  _ >  .     "   ·   late ’60s was sobering and in 1970 the t
 g_g’ °`_  '  \ »     \ fj {   addition of two more institutions only ‘
      , , V ’ , 5,} gr   compounded the problem of financing
  t t``.     _ ‘ _ r`   Q ·· .,.   higher education for the state. The ;
 _ =_  ’    t_ _ . V   X slight increases in absolute dollar `
  _.=   · - a.···· W E Y, - jj   figures of the post-1970 appropriations
  gg    L"? ~   tos   l \ •   ,i yl   were offset by inHation and other rising
i  . ‘ . `/7 ¤ ` · nt costs.
` ‘ *"’   I     " gy    gg { T · ’?·_"*`2’.,f‘>' The budget cut of 1980 reemphasized
    i " `V ` ' V the tradition of stringency that
  characterized the history of the
  " A { __ University.
' ‘ The sound financial management of
Upon his appointment, Dr. Singletory meets the press. the Singletary administration was
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