University of Kentucky - Kentuckian Yearbook (Lexington, KY)

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iv n, -.- v..,.,,....w, 1H, r.vr..,.,.,,.,,t,.,,,.,.,, ,. WWMMW by PATTI VAN NOTE John Bowman had a dream, and he worked against adds to make that dream a reahty. His dream was to start a public university in Kentucky. His odds were an uninterested gover- nor and an uninterested iegislature. There were also odds against a nonsec- tarian education. Retigious groups were engaging in power struggles, and they fought the idea of a state university They nearty succeeded in killing the in- stitution in its infancy And, there was a problem of tim At the time of the Morrill Land Grant College Act in 1862, Ke ucky was sut- tering invasion from 9 Union and Con- federate armies. But Bowman was determined he should have his way, and eventually ob- tained the land grant funds to establish a university. In 1874, the Agricultural and Me- chanical tAMT College 7 as UK's early name came to he - was nearly ruined from a battle wrth denominational groups. Bowman was forgotten, and le- gislature bowmg to sectarian pressure, severed the AW College from Kentucky University in 1878. The iand grant MM College was left with neither land nor grant e but it refused to die. The Morrili Act required military training tor all, so every student became a cadet. They turned out a 5:30 am. to reveille, and went to bed at 10 pm to taps. Demerits were given for untidy rooms and artillery practice was the most favorable part of their military life Yet in 1880, women entered Kentucky State College 7 as it was nicknamed. Only 43 enrolled, but it was a start. Their major: teaching. The student body was predominantly male, but the girls made their pressure known. They organized the Philosophian Literary Socrety, which met on Friday nights for debates and candy pullse tcontlnued on page 251 BACKGROUND: Today. UK is not known as a military schooT, but on Wednesdays a few ROTC students may be spotted. LEFT: A group of men in the American As when 01 Engineers during 1923, BEHIND CO . A 1920 photo at Bueli Armhry, OPP. PG., TOP: 1923 Hume ECUanIE students making the service Hag. BOTTOM: The 1923 Unwersrty at Kentucky military hand. UK ARCHIVES

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BACKGROUND: ROTC student. Robert Meyers. en- joys studying outside the Business and Economics Building in between classes. YUP LEFT: A ride on Mam Shed in 1950 proved to be an adventure far these UK skudents. TOP CENTER: Durlng the 1950's, the soda shop was a popular hangout tor UK smdems. TOP RlGHT: A scene from 1940 With MI King Lrbmy in background. BOITDM LEFT: The 1894 Kentucky State College football team. BUT- W v