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{Q THE STATE COLLEGE OF KENTUCKY.
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A HISTORY.
A GRICULTURAL and Mechanical Colleges in the United States owe
their origin to an act of Congress entitled "An Act Donating Public
1 Lands to the several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for
the benent 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 established an Agricultural
and Mechanical College under this act. When established it was not placed
, upon an independent basis, but was made one of the Colleges of Kentucky i
· 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—$l65,000——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act of 1865, making it one of the Colleges of said University, was repealed;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 Legislature 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 Commission (which was also author-
ized to recommend to the General Assembly the place which, all things con-
sidered, offered the best and greatest inducements for the future and perma-
V nent location of the College,) the City Park, containing iifty-two acres of
land within the limits of the 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 erect-
ion of buildings or for the purchase of land. The oifers of the city of Lex-
ington and the county of Fayette were accepted by the General Assembly.
By the act of incorporation and the amendments thereto, constituting
— the charter of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, liberal
’ AI provision is made for educating, free of tuition, the energetic young men of
the Commonwealth whose means are limited. The Normal Department, for
y which provision is also made, is intended to aid in building up the Common
_"i _ School system by furnishing properly qualined teachers. This College, with
( the additional departments which shall, 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 great work in advancing the educational interest of
Kentucky. Being entirely undenominational in its character, it will appeal r
‘ with conidence to the people of all creeds and of no creed, and will endeavor,
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