James K. Patterson presidential papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- James K. Patterson presidential papers
- Date
- 1856-1957 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 9.56 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Women's colleges -- Kentucky -- North Middletown.
- Group portraits.
- Universities and colleges -- Finance.
- Political letter writing Kentucky -- Lexington.
- Arrangement
- This collection is arranged in eleven series chronologically and by subject: I. Correspondence i. Personal ii. Professional II. Reports and Speeches III. Published Materials IV. Board of Trustees Materials V. Financial Materials VI. Patterson Female Institute VII. Patterson Literary Society VIII. Miscellaneous IX. Materials received by Mabel Pollitt Adams X. Photographic Materials XI. Ephemera
- Preferred Citation
- 0000ua001: [identification of item], James K. Patterson presidential papers, University of Kentucky Archives.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- James Kennedy Patterson, "The Grand Old Man" of the University, served from 1869 to1910 as president of the institutions that were to become the University of Kentucky. Through his vision, diplomatic skills, administrative acumen, and at times, financial support - the fledgling Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College of Kentucky was transformed into an independent state university.
- Patterson was born in the parish of Gorbals in Glasgow, Scotland in 1833. His family immigrated to the United States in 1842, when Patterson was nine, and settled near Madison, Indiana. He received his B.A and Master of Arts degrees from Hanover College (Indiana) in 1856 and 1859 respectively, and an honorary Ph.D. from the same institution in 1875. [Later honorary degrees included the LL.D. from the Universities of Vermont (1910) and Kentucky (1916)]. In 1859 he was married to Lucelia Wing, daughter of a wealthy New Bedford, Massachusetts whaler who had moved to Kentucky around 1800. The Pattersons had two children: daughter, Jeanie Rumsey who died in infancy and a son, William Andrew (in whose name Patterson by bequest endowed the University's School of Diplomacy), who passed away in 1895 at the age of 27. Following principalships at the Presbyterial Academy of Greenville (Kentucky) and the preparatory department of Stewart College in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he also taught Latin and Greek, he served as Principal of the Transylvania Academy in Lexington from 1861 to 1865.
- With the merger in 1865 of Transylvania College, Kentucky University (in Harrodsburg), and the newly state-chartered Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, Patterson was appointed professor of Latin and Civil History in this enlarged "Kentucky University." At the same time, he secured the chair of History and Metaphysics which he occupied under changing institutional auspices until 1910. In 1869, Patterson was elected third Presiding Officer of the University's now constituent Agricultural and Mechanical College. After rancorous denominational and theological bickering and debilitating financial hardship experienced by the hybrid institution, the State Legislature in 1878 formally separated the A&M College from K.U., and Patterson assumed the position of "President" of the independent school. One of the A&M president's first administrative efforts, following the erection of the college's first buildings on its new Lexington Fairgrounds site, ultimately at his own expense, was an attempt to repair the fiscal damage incurred by the school during its preceding thirteen years of existence in linkage with Kentucky University. To this end he indefatigably led the fight to convince the Kentucky General Assembly to enact legislation establishing a one-half-cent state property tax to raise desperately needed monies to support the struggling College. The climax of his crusade - an impassioned speech on the floor of the Senate - succeeded in sweeping away the formidable, organized opposition to the tax and the measure was approved in 1882. The revenues from this new tax, however, proved insufficient to provide for the college's stability and continued growth. With the financial situation of the institution in question, Patterson considered other means of fundraising. When all other options had been exhausted he secured a personal loan to procure the needed money.
- Patterson proved a capable chief executive, administering the daily operations and affairs of the A&M College wisely and economically, although he was criticized by his detractors as unduly tyrannical and miserly, the latter particularly as it related to the salaries of employees and to physical expansion. Many in the community and state likewise felt that the president was wrongly removing the college from its moorings in agricultural and engineering instruction, as mandated by the Morrill Land-Grant Act, and setting it on a course of becoming an essentially liberal arts institution. Increasing curricular diversification led to moves to upgrade the school's official academic classification and Patterson with his Board of Trustees in 1908 successfully lobbied the General Assembly in support of changing the school's name to: "State University, Lexington, Kentucky." He continued as President for two more years, assisting in the transition of the institution to University status. In 1910 he retired from the presidency. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved his stipulated conditions which included: attendance at Board and faculty meetings; serving as advisor to the incoming President and as representative of the University on the state and national level; and continued residence in the campus house built for the President in 1882, which he occupied until his death in 1922. The life and legacy of Kentucky's "Pater Universitatis" are today honored in University buildings and a roadway that bear his name, and in the seated statue of the founder, erected in 1934, which sits adjacent to the institution's Administration Building and astride the campus he built and nurtured.
- (from http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/libpage.php?lweb_id=320&llib_id=13)
- Scope and Content
- The James K. Patterson presidential papers consist of his personal and professional correspondence, speeches and notes, books, reports, documents and financial material associated with the Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College, published materials, and photographs. Also included are materials relating to Lucelia Patterson and their son William Andrew Patterson, such as correspondence, notes, photographs, and a scrapbook devoted to the memory of William Andrew Patterson.
- These materials span most of the years of Patterson's life and beyond, from 1856 to 1957, and document the arduous work Patterson accomplished in order to sustain the A&M College following the Civil War and eventually establishing the school as a State College.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The intellectual rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections and Digital Programs.
Contents of the Collection
Correspondence, 1905-1956
Scope and Contents note
The Correspondence series consists of letters written and received by James Patterson and has been further subdivided by type of correspondence, subject, and sender.
Professional Correspondence, 1880-1936
Scope and Contents note
Includes correspondence relating to the operations of A&M College, particularly administrative, as well as correspondence between parents and students. Faculty applications and county student appointments are also found in the form of correspondence. Of particular note is the correspondence between Patterson and the state and national government, including a letter from Woodrow Wilson, as he worked to attain the title of State College.
Woodrow Wilson, 17-Jun-13
Immigration Restriction League, Jun-05
Medical School Establishment, Jun-05
United States Department of Treasury, 1887-1888
United States Executive Committee, 1900-1901
University of Alabama, June-July 1917
West Virginia University, 1895
Personal Correspondence, 1880-1936
Scope and Contents note
Represented are letters from James Patterson's close friends and associates, particularly land agents in Texas, his mother, wife, son, and relatives, particularly his Scottish cousin, James McLintock, in Edinburgh. Through this correspondence one can document Patterson and his family's travels through the United States and Europe.
R.W. Nelson, May-05
John Patterson, 1900-1901
William A. Patterson, 1879, 1882
Map of Daugherty and Poyner Addition Colorado, Texas, 1884
Reports and Speeches, 1870-1916
Scope and Contents note
Consists of the reports presented to Patterson and the Board of Trustees as well as speeches Patterson wrote academically and for commencement exercises. The academic reports list the names and grades of students in particular classes as well as what the professor accomplished in the semester. This series also contains some weekly reports on the conditions of the dormitories and the mess hall. "Speeches of James K. Patterson" and "State University of Kentucky Commemorative Exercises of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Presidency of James K. Patterson June 1, 1909" are both bound collections of Patterson's speeches.
"Condition of Student Mess" Reports on Dormitory Meals November 8, 1887-February 12, 1889
"Reports of the Condition of the Rooms, Halls", September 25, 1887- May 27, 1888
State University of Kentucky Commemorative Exercises of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Presidency of James K. Patterson, June 1, 1909
Published Materials, 1859-1954
Scope and Contents note
Consists of the published papers and pamphlets received by Patterson, as well as newspaper articles about and written by Patterson. Materials of particular importance in this series are the commencement programs and original A&M and Kentucky State college advertisements and brochures.
Programs, Commencement Address State University of Kentucky, 1908-1911
Newspaper Clippings relating to Retirement of President Patterson, 1910
Newspaper Clippings, Administration Building and A&M College Building Dedication, 1882
Newspaper Lists, undated
Mechanical Hall, 1892
"Engine", 1892
"Forge Shop", 1892
"Engine", 1892
"Wood Shop", 1892
"Foundry", 1892
"Machine Shop", 1892
Board of Trustees Materials, 1901-1911
Scope and Contents note
Consists of reports, blueprints and papers received and produced by the Board of Trustees. These papers document the advancements made on campus as well as projected plans for future development and funding.
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Blue Prints, 1907
Financial Materials, 1870-1919
Scope and Contents note
Consists primarily of bills received by Patterson as well as payment forms and receipts. These materials in this series give a fairly good picture of the daily workings of the A&M College and the forms in which the school's money was allotted. The materials are arranged chronologically.
Patterson Female Institute Diaries, 1866-1878
Scope and Contents note
Consists of diaries in fair to poor condition written by students who attended the Patterson Institute, a women's college begun in North Middletown, Ky. (Bourbon County) in 1867. The school was named for J.T. Patterson relation to James Kennedy Patterson unknown and appears to have closed circa 1879. The diaries seem to be produced by a group of sisters or relatives with the same last name and account their daily lives. Mention is made within the diaries that they were to serve as writing exercises which would be judged by "Mr. Patterson".
Fannie, Sudie and Cornelia (Connie, Loulie) Benthell diaries (3), circa 1872-1873
Patterson Literary Society, 1938-1957
Scope and Contents note
This series consists of two books related to the society. The books contain member rosters and meeting minutes. The society met in McVey Hall and discussed papers written on certain topics, some of which won cash awards.
Miscellaneous, 1938-1957
Scope and Contents note
These materials relate to the college or to Patterson himself and include a satire by an unknown author and Lucelia Patterson's papers. Related to the college are matriculation stubs and examination papers written for a variety of classes.
Mrs. Lucelia Patterson: Letters, family papers, personal affairs, 1860-1890
Matriculation Stubs (5 sets), 1893-1895
Materials received by Mabel Pollitt Adams, 1856-1911
Scope and Contents note
Consists of the papers received by Adams, who was a University of Kentucky graduate and wrote a biography of Patterson in 1925 under the name of Mabel Hardy Pollitt. Many of these papers and correspondence are similar to those found throughout the collection. The papers were kept in the exact order in which they were received. The family correspondence is older, with some rare letters from Patterson's two brothers, William and Andrew.
James, John, David, Finlay, and Agnes McLintock Correspondence, 1890-1891, undated
Honorary law degree diploma, 1916
Photographic Materials, 1962-1918
Scope and Contents note
Contains images related to Patterson and A&M College. Most of the photographs are undated and include tintypes and three ambrotypes.
Doctor Donovan, undated
T.W. Comer, undated
John Erwin, undated
John Erwin, undated
Andrew Patterson, 1862
[possibly] William Patterson (brother of James Patterson), 1862
James K. Patterson, undated
Janet Kennedy Patterson, undated
Janet Kennedy Patterson, undated
Mrs. Lucelia Patterson (tintype), undated
William A. Patterson (son of James Patterson), undated
William A. Patterson (son), undated
William A. Patterson (son), "From W.A. Patterson to his Grandmother", undated
William A. Patterson (son), undated
William A. Patterson (son), undated
Charles F. Wing, undated
Charles F. Wing, undated
Dumbarton Castle, "facing the Clyde and showing part of the pier" Scotland, undated
A beggar and his Flute, Quito, Ecuador, 1870
A track meet at University of Kentucky, Syd Smith breaking the record for college pole vault at 9ft., 6in., June 1, 1897
Unidentified boy, undated
[possibly] William A. (son) and Lucelia Patterson, undated
Three unidentified men in Union Uniforms, undated
Unidentified Man (possibly Patterson's Scott cousin McLintock), undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man (Tintype), undated
Unidentifed Man [possibly William A. Patterson], undated
Unidentified Man [possibly William A. Patterson], undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
Unidentified Man, February 8, 1866
Unidentified Nun, undated
Unidentified Woman (Tintype), undated
Unidentified Woman, undated
"Floyd D. Crim Box 121, Ronceverte West Virginia, undated
William A. Patterson (son), undated
William A. Patterson, undated
Unidentified classroom at State College of Kentucky, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man and boy, undated
Unidentified Man on horse, "Silverlock" Quito, Ecuador, February, 1870
Unidentified Man, "Son of woman, known as Mary, in Patterson home" "Mrs. Albert M. Knight", undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Albert W. Knight, "Mary's husband. Mary was domestic servant in Patterson home in Indiana, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
Mrs. Janet Kennedy Patterson, undated
Mrs. Janet Kennedy Patterson, undated
Mrs. Lucelia Patterson, undated
Mrs. Lucelia Patterson, undated
Man holding baby, with wife and three daughters, "Joel T. Hary. Taken by Mr. Wilson.", undated
Unidentified boy and girl (Tintype), undated
Unidentified Bride, undated
Unidentified Groom, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man, undated
Unidentified Man on horse in front of large tree with "Kentucky" sign, undated
Unidentified Man on horse, "Silverlock" Quito, Ecuador, 1870
Unidenfitied Man "equipped for the road. Quito", 1870
Unidentified Woman "Not Known by Mabel Pollitt Adams", 1914
Unidentified Woman, 1914
Isabella, "To Uncle James and Walter From Isabella", December 15, 1918
Unidentified Woman, undated
Unidentified Woman, undated
"Harry Patterson Germanison, 11 years old, Gilbert William Germanison, 14 years old, Cecil Kenneth Germanison, 13 years old, Randolph Clermont Germanison", undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
"President James K. Patterson, State College of Kentucky, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
James K. Patterson, undated
"Patterson Literary Society, Kentuckian 1913 p276" "Officers: John E. Wilson, EE. Tarter, C.E Blevins, C.K. Johnson, C.B. Wilson, W.F. Wright, W.T. Woodson, A.O. Snoody, J.F. Crun", 1913
"A.E. Menke, A.R. Crandall, J.H. Potter, A.F. Parker, F.M. Helveti, W.K. Patterson, Dr. Robert Peter, A.M. Peter, J.L McClelland, Lieut. F.E. Phelps, john Shackelford, W.D. Lambuth, Pres. J.K. Patterson, J.G. White, University of Kentucky Faculty 1885", 1885
Group Photograph, James K. Patterson (center), circa 1906
unidentified Woman, undated
Unidentified Man [possibly Walter K. Patterson], "1906, 73rd Birthday", 1906
James K. Patterson (ambrotype), undated
James K. Patterson (ambrotype), undated
Unidentified boy (ambrotype), undated
James K. Patterson, undated
Ephemera, circa 1800s-1920
Scope and Contents note
The Ephemera series consists of the items found after the demolition of Patterson's house including: a house bell, brick, and lag screw. The series also contains an unframed commemorative poem and Patterson's Commencement robes.
Patterson House Bell, undated
Brick from Walk, undated
"To James Kennedy Patterson on his Eighty-Seventh Birthday", March 26, 1920
Lag Screw, Hitching Post from Patterson's House, undated
Patterson's academic gown, cap, and hood (honorary LL.D. from the University of Vermont), 1910, undated
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Descriptive Summary
- Collection Overview
- Preferred Citation
- Restrictions on Access and Use
- Contents of the Collection
- Correspondence, 1905-1956
- Reports and Speeches, 1870-1916
- Published Materials, 1859-1954
- Board of Trustees Materials, 1901-1911
- Financial Materials, 1870-1919
- Patterson Female Institute Diaries, 1866-1878
- Patterson Literary Society, 1938-1957
- Miscellaneous, 1938-1957
- Materials received by Mabel Pollitt Adams, 1856-1911
- Photographic Materials, 1962-1918
- Ephemera, circa 1800s-1920
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.