University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky (also as UK or simply Kentucky) is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865, UK is the largest university in the state with over 32,000 students.

History

John Bowman founded the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, a publicly chartered department of Kentucky University, as a land-grant university in 1865. The first degree from A&M was awarded in 1869. In 1878, A&M separated from Kentucky University, which is now Transylvania University. For the new school, the city of Lexington donated a 52 acre (210,000 m²) park and fair ground, which became the core of UK's present campus. The modern campus covers 670 acres (2.7 km²).

Related Topics:
Land-grant university - 1865 - 1869 - 1878 - Transylvania University - Acre - Km²

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The college was initially for men only, but women were admitted beginning in 1880. The first female degree recipient was Belle Gunn in 1888. The school's first women's dormitory, Patterson Hall, built in 1904, was the first building constructed apart from the main campus; residents had to cross a swamp (where the Student Center now stands) to reach classrooms. The building was renovated recently and is the oldest still-existing UK dormitory.

Related Topics:
1880 - 1888

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The school's name was changed to "State University, Lexington, Kentucky" in 1908, then to "University of Kentucky" in 1916. The University of Kentucky became racially integrated in 1949 when Lyman T. Johnson, a black man, won a lawsuit to be admitted to the graduate program. Undergraduate classes desegregated in 1954.

Related Topics:
1908 - 1916 - 1949 - 1954

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In an interesting show of school pride, Lexington and the surrounding Bluegrass area code was changed several years ago to 859, which spells out "UKY" on the phone.

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The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is the home and sponsor of one of the earliest college amateur radio stations in the United States, call sign W4JP, with continuous operation dating from before World War I, before amateur radio licenses were granted by the US Government.

Related Topics:
Radio station - World War I

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The College of Engineering operates a satellite campus in Paducah, located on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Related Topics:
Paducah - West Kentucky Community and Technical College

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