University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky Overview

The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a prominent public land-grant research university located in Lexington, Kentucky. Established in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, it stands as one of the state's two land-grant institutions. With an enrollment of 30,545 students as of fall 2019, it holds the distinction of having the highest student enrollment in Kentucky.

Comprising 16 colleges, a graduate school, 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master programs, 66 doctoral programs, and four professional programs, the university is categorized within the "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." Kentucky invested $393 million in research and development in 2018, ranking 63rd in the nation based on data from the National Science Foundation.

The University of Kentucky boasts seven on-campus libraries, the largest being the William T. Young Library, which serves as a federal depository and offers resources in social sciences, humanities, and life sciences collections. The university's emphasis on research has grown since 1997, in alignment with a mandate from the Kentucky General Assembly. This directive aimed to elevate the university's status to that of a Top 20 public research institution, determined by its own assessment, by the year 2020.

Notably, the institution has produced two Nobel Prize-winning alumni. In Kentucky's early days, higher education was limited to specific groups, but the university emerged as the territory's pioneer, tracing its roots to Transylvania University. John Bryan Bowman established the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky (A&M) in 1865 with the support of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. It commenced classes at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate. In 1868, James Kennedy Patterson became the inaugural president, and the university awarded its first degree. The institution expanded its offerings to include master's programs in 1876 and separated from Kentucky University (now Transylvania University) two years later.

The university's present campus was founded on a 52-acre park and fairground donated by Lexington. Originally an all-male institution, A&M began admitting women in 1880. In 1892, the university adopted its official colors, royal blue and white, inspired by an earlier color combination used at a Kentucky-Centre College football game.

The Administration Building, completed on February 15, 1882, marked the first of three buildings on the current campus. The Agricultural Experiment Station was established three years later, researching various aspects of agribusiness, food processing, and environmental concerns. The university's Agricultural Extension Service emerged in 1910, setting the tone for similar federally mandated programs initiated nationwide from 1914 onwards.