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Agricultu‘al and )‘lechanical Colleges in the United States
owe their origin to an act of Congress, entitled “.\n act donating
public lands to the seve‘al States and Territories which may
provide colleges for the benefit of agricultural and mechanic
arts,” approved July ‘2, 1862. The amount of land donated was
30,000 acres for \ach Representative in the National Congress.
Under this allotment Kentucky received 330,000 acres. che 'al
years elapsed before the Commonw ‘flltll established an Agricul—
tural and h’Iechanieal College under the act. \Vhen 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 were to be given for the purpose of carrying on its opera —
tions. The land scrip had meanwhile been sold for titty cents
per acre, and the amount received—$165,000—invcsted in six
per cent. Kentucky State bonds, of which the State became the
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University, was repealed, and a Commission was appointed to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 organiza—
tion for an Institution including an Agricultural and Mechanical
College such as the necessities of the Commonw‘alth require.
The city of Lexington oli’ered to the Ctnnmission (which was
also authorized to recommend to the General Assembly the place,
which, all things considered, offered the best and greatest induce—
ments for the futurt and permanent location of the College) the
City Park, containing titty-two acres ot" land, within the limits
of the city, and thirty thousand dollars in city bonds for the
erection of buildings. This oll'er the county of Fayette supple—
mented by twenty thousand dollars in county bonds, to be used
either for the erection of buildings or for the purchase of land.
The otl'ers of the city of Lexington and of the county of Fayette

were accepted by the (leneral Assembly.