I i  
i History . I · The Lexington Community
j  The University of Kentucky began as part of Kentucky Located in the internationally famous Bluegrass area of
j Q  University under a cooperative plan authorized by the state Kentucky, the cityof Lexington addsaspecialdimensiontothe
Q  . legislature. In 1878, when the people of Kentucky decided to UK experience. With apopulation of 225,000, Lexington offers
I , establish a state institution of higher learning, the Agricultural a multitude of job opportunities, entertainment, dining, recre-
r  and Mechanical College was separated from Kentucky Uni- ation and cultural events. Additionally, the city's growing
T versity and reestablished on land given by Lexington and · business community is a valuable resource for part-time
·  Fayette County. . employment, cooperative education and internship programs. .
,  To provide a separate campus for the new institution, the Cultural events abound in the Bluegrass. The Lexington
 Q city of Lexington donated its 50-acre fairground and park Phi|harmonicOrchestra,the Lexington BalIet,theOpera House
l  which had been used as a bivouac area for Union troops and numerous theatres all regularly hold performances. The
Y`  during the Civil War. Lexington and Fayette County contrib- area also enjoys the unique exhibits at a number of art
  uted $60,000 for the construction of buildings, and President galleries including the nationally-accredited art museum lo-
  James K. Patterson, whose service to the institution began in cated in the Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts.
il 1869, used his personal savings to supplement the building Lexington is known as the horse capital oftheworld, and for i
  fund. good reason. Within a 35-mile radius of downtown, there are
ii Thirty years later the legislature changed the name of the several hundred horse farms ranging in size from a few acres
_   institution to State University, Lexington, Kentucky, and gave to several thousand acres. Local farms breed and trade some
  it additional financial support. ln 1916the name was changed ofthe worId's best thoroughbred, standardbred and saddlebred
. 3  to the University of Kentucky. . horses.Famous horse sites inthe region include the Kentucky
l  Today UK is amongthe 93 state universities and land-grant Horse Park, Calumet Farm and Keeneland Race Track.
‘ ?“  institutions in America. Tourists are also attracted to the greater Lexington area by ,
ki  Other dates have proved pivotal in the history of the the historic and beaut_ifuI scenery of the Bluegrass, which
  university:. » includes the Red River Gorge, Shakertown at Pleasant Hill
  _ _ r and Fort Boonesborough. ln addition, the vicinity offers six
  192a ‘ Graduata S°h°°'· mst bagun '" 1912· namas a major malls, over 200 restaurants, 82 community parks and _
 3;, l lu""t'm° d°a"· Rupp Arena, the 24,000-seat basketball and concert arena,
tl  1954 - UK Albert B. Chandler Medical Center is autho- .
ji   rized to include colleges of medicine, nursing and den-
  tistry, as well as pharmacy (formed through a merger
  with a college at the University of Louisville).
A  1960 - 500-bed University Hospital opens.
·   1964 — The university initiates the system of community
  colleges, which now number 14. ` —
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 Q; UK Today p
  Today the University of Kentucky‘s eleven colleges, five
·   ii? professional schools and The Graduate School support more ·
  than 24,000 students on the Lexington campus and the V
  i Chandler Medical Center. In addition, the University's 14
  community colleges serve another 44,000 students. UK is
.   currently educating 38 percent of all students going to public
  and private colleges and universities in Kentucky.
  UK offers 95 bachelor’s level, almost 100 master’s level . ,
ll  and over 55 doctoral level degree programs. Students may T
  select from programs in the colleges of Agriculture, Allied
L,  Health Professions, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Busi-
  i, ness and Economics, Communications and information Stud-
 ,1,- ies, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Human Environmental
 A Sciences and Social Work. In addition, students may select
    from professional programs in Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Nurs-
li.  ing and Pharmacy. T .
  The University of Kentucky is designated a Research
  University of the First Class, or Research I, by the Carnegie
.  Foundation, one of only 59 public universities in the country , ‘
l   and the only one in Kentucky. _
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