University of Kentucky - Kentuckian Yearbook (Lexington, KY)

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History of Kentucky State College CRHAPS nothing is more characteristic of the development of the last century than the establishment and evolution of colleges and universities. Espe- cially is this true of the last half of the century. In 1800 there were not more than ten colleges in North America. These were located in the centers of civilization in the Middle-Eastern and New Eng- land States. They were far removed from the fron- tiersman of the Central and Northwestern sections. Distance, then, rendered them almost inaccessible. Institutions of learning now adorn every city and town. Any one of the smaller states now has more colleges than the whole country had a hundred years ago. Universities of the proportions of Har- vard, Yale or Princeton may now be found in a number of states of the North and Northwest. From institutions of a few scores of students they now number as many hundred, and some even as many thousand; from institutions offering a single course of study they now offer a dozen or more. Their teaching force has been increased ten fold; their equipment, correspondingly. This marvel- ous increase in the number and facilities of educa- tional institutions is not confined to the United States alone. A like increase is to be found in the leading European countries. In 182a there were in England proper only two institutions of higher learning, Oxford and Cambridge, both of which were much restricted in their operation. In addi tion to these England now has such other large universities as those of London, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Durham, as many a s ten in all. These schools are designed to meet the demand for industrial as well as pure intellectual training. In Germany the number of Gymnasiums and uni- versities has approximately doubled during the last century. There are now in the German Empire four hundred and fifty of the former and twenty two of the latter. All these institutions in a country whose area is smaller than that of Texas. Nothing better shows the greatness of the German nation than their well organized and highly developed school system. In order to understand the unprecedented advancement of learning in the United States it is necessary to observe the great Education Bill of the Civil War period. This bill, passed just as the North and South were beginning the fiercest civil strife accorded in history has done more in re-unit- ing the belligerent sections than any other possible agency. In 1862 the National Congress passed an act entitled “An Act Donating Public Lands to the

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Editors’ Plea We, the editors of this volume, ask the public to pardon anything in it that is not what it should be. We realize that as a literary production it would be graded zero; but remember that several members of the staff are illiterate en- gineers. As may be readily noticed, we are inexperienced, as this job, like the measles, comes but once in a lifetime. As for the knockers, they will be taken care of by our pugilistic business manager. Thanking you in advance for your kind indulgence, we remain, Yours truly, The Staff of the ’06 Kentuckian. 13

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Several States and Territories which may Provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.” The amount of land donated was 30,000 acres for each representative in Congress. Senator Morrill of Vermont, who introduced this bill, was a man of broad vision. He foresaw the vast agricultural possibilities of our country, and its unlimited natural resources. The extent of ter- ritory, the climate, the fertility of the soil, the natural routes of commerce warranted the belief that the United States would become the world's greatest power. Senator Morrill saw that the country needed roads, mills, factories, bridges and railways. Pie rightly estimated that the State would be the most potent factor in training men to supply the various needs. By making a donation of Public Land worth several hundred thousand dollars or several million, he left no alternative to the States but to begin the work of educating their young men and women. In accordance with the Morrill Act no less than thirty-five Colleges and Universities have been founded and fifteen others have been materially assisted. Thus fifty Colleges have been established, located most favorably in the respective states. The broadest education has been brought within easy reach of all the people. The statistics of some of the State Universities are almost incredible. Cornell leads the list in most respects having an income of about a million and a half dollars. Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, California, Ohio and Nebraska follow close upon her lead. Some of these schools enroll between two and three thousand students. These state schools have had a most wholesome and stimulative effect on the older sectarian institu- tions. They have compelled them to become more aggressive in management and to offer students a wider range of courses from which to select. Almost all the State Universities provide courses of study not only in Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts but in General Culture as well—in the Classi- cal and Modern Language, in History, English Lit - erature, Political Economy and in all branches of Natural Science. They thus become competitors of the older universities in their strongholds. Kentucky received as her allottment of Public Land 330,000 acres. The commissioners appointed for the purpose disposed of this land at fifty cents per acre. The amount received, $165,000, was invested in six per cent Kentucky State bonds, the interest from which still constitutes a part of the annual income of the college. In 1865 the General Assembly of Kentucky passed an act establishing the Agricultural and Mechanical College and mak- ing it one of the Colleges of Kentucky Univeisity. The College opened in October, 1866, with a Fac- ulty composed of six members. The connection with Kentucky University continued until 1878. when the General Assembly decided to re-locate the College. The city of Lexington secured the