University of Kentucky

Infobox_University
name = University of Kentucky




motto = "See Blue"
established = 1865
type = Public
president= Dr. Lee T. Todd, Jr.
city = Lexington
state = KY
country = USA
endowment = $831.8 millioncite news | first = Art| last = Jester| title = UK reaches billion-dollar milestone in fund-raising| url=http://www.kentucky.com/211/story/54436.html| publisher="Herald-Leader"|date=27 April, 2007| accessdate=2007-05-02]
students = 27,209cite web | publisher=University of Kentucky | title=Fact Booklet 2006-2007 | year=2006 | url=http://www.uky.edu/OPIE/FactBooklet0607.pdf ]
undergrad = 19,292
postgrad = 7,090
staff = 11,546
campus = Urban, 784 acres (3.17 km²)
free_label = Athletics
free = 21 varsity teams, called "Wildcats"cite web | title=University of Kentucky Traditions and songs | date=2007-05-25 | publisher=University of Kentucky | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AboutUK/traditions.html ]
colors = Blue ¦ and White ¦
nickname = Wildcats
mascot = "Blue", "The Wildcat", "Scratch"
affiliations = Southeastern Conference
website = [http://www.uky.edu www.uky.edu]

The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public, co-educational, university, and is also the state's land-grant university, located in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bowman as the "Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky", the university is the largest in the Commonwealth by enrollment, with 27,209 students, and is also the highest ranked research university in the state, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The university is home to 16 colleges, a graduate school, 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master programs, 66 doctoral programs, and four professional programs. The University of Kentucky has fifteen libraries on campus. The largest is William T. Young Library, a federal depository, hosting subjects related to social sciences, humanities and life sciences collections. The university currently has an endowment of $831 million.

In recent years, the university has focused expenditures increasingly on research, following a compact formed by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1997. The directive mandated that the university become a "Top 20" public research institution, in terms of an overall ranking to be determined by the university itself, by the year 2020.

History

John Bryan Bowman founded the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky (A&M), a publicly chartered department of Kentucky University, after receiving federal support through the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act in 1865.cite web | title=History Briefs | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=2007-05-23 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AboutUK/history1.html | accessdate=2008-01-09 ] Courses were offered at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate. Three years later, James Kennedy Patterson became the first president of the land-grant university and the first degree was awarded. In 1876, the university began to offer Master's degree programs. Two years later, A&M separated from Kentucky University, which is now Transylvania University.cite web | title=A Chronology of UK | publisher=University of Kentucky Special Collections & Digital Programs Division | date=2 January, 2008 | accessdate=2008-01-02 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/libpage.php?lweb_id=311&llib_id=13 ] For the new school, Lexington donated a 52 acre (210,000 m²) park and fair ground, which became the core of UK's present campus. A&M was initially a male-only institution, but began to admit women in 1880.

In 1882, the official colors of the university, royal blue and white, were adopted. An earlier color set, blue and light yellow, was adopted earlier at a Kentucky-Centre College football game on December 19, 1891. The particular hue of blue was determined from a necktie, which was used to demonstrate the color of royal blue.

On February 15, 1882, Administration Building was the first building of three completed on the present campus.

Three years later, the college expanded with the formation of the [http://www.ca.uky.edu/research/ Agricultural Experiment Station] , which provided research results to farmers throughout the state, addressing issues relating to agribusiness, food processing, nutrition, water and soil resources and the environment.cite web | title=agResearch | publisher=University of Kentucky College of Agriculture | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-01-07 | url=http://www.ca.uky.edu/research/ ] This was followed up by the creation of the university's "Agricultural Extension service" in 1910, which was one of the first in the United States.cite web | title=History Briefs | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=2007-05-23 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AboutUK/history2.html ] The extension service became a mode of the federally mandated programs that were required beginning in 1914.

The school's first women's dormitory, Patterson Hall, was constructed in 1904. Residents had to cross a swampy depression, where the student center now resides, to reach central campus. Four years later, the school's name was changed to the "State University, Lexington, Kentucky" upon reaching university status, and then to the "University of Kentucky" in 1916.

In 1912, the University of Kentucky's graduate school opened, offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees relating to Master of arts, Master of Science, Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Mining Engineer and Doctor of Philosophy, followed by the founding of the College of Commerce in 1925, known today as the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

In 1924, Memorial Hall was completed, dedicated to the 2,756 Kentuckians who died in World War I. This was followed up by the new King Library, which opened in 1931 and was named for a long-time library director, Margaret I. King.

The university became racially integrated in 1949 when Lyman T. Johnson, an African American, won a lawsuit to be admitted to the graduate program.

Ground was broken for the Albert B. Chandler Hospital in 1955, when Governor of Kentucky A. B. "Happy" Chandler recommended that the Kentucky General Assembly appropriate $5 million for the creation of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and a medical center at the university. cite news | title=Officials Break Ground on New UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital | first=Amanda | last=Nelson | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=2007-05-30 ] This was completed after a series of studies were conducted that highlighted the health needs of the citizens, as well as the need to train more physicians for the state. Five years later, the College of Medicine and College of Nursing opened, followed by the College of Dentistry in 1962.

Authorized by the Kentucky General Assembly and signed by Governor Bert Combs in March 6, 1962, a mandate was placed upon the University of Kentucky to form a community college system. Two years later, the Board of Trustees implements the legislation and established the Community College System, creating centers in Covington, Ashland, Fort Knox, Cumberland, Henderson and Elizabethtown. In 1969, the Patterson Office Tower was completed, currently the tallest building on campus.

building was destroyed by fire. Nine years later, the Singletary Center for the Arts opened, named in honor of former university president Otis Singletary.

In 1979, the University of Kentucky hosted the first Kentucky Women Writers Conference, which is now the longest-running conference of its kind. The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is now in its 29th year and will be help September 11-13, 2008 at the University of Kentucky and throughout the Lexington community.

In 1997, the Kentucky General Assembly reorganized the community college system, withdrawing the university's jurisdiction from all but the Lexington Community College. The other colleges were merged with the Kentucky Technical College system and were placed under a separate board of control.

On April 3, 1998, the William T. Young Library opened, the largest university project at the time of completion.Citation | last = Jester | first = Art | last2 = Stepp | first2 = Holly | title = Hub of the University | date = 22 March, 1998 | newspaper = Herald-Leader | pages = 2 | year = 1998] The six-level William T. Young Library was constructed on south campus and the largest book endowment among all public university libraries in the country. Nine-years later, on April 13, 2007, ground was broken for the Biological Pharmaceutical Complex Building, the largest planned academic building in the state of Kentucky, and one of the largest in the United States.cite web | title = Future of Pharmacy | date=13 April, 2007 | publisher=University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital | url=http://www.mc.uky.edu/pharmacy/building.html | accessdate = 2007-04-05 ] The Biological Pharmaceutical Complex Building complements the adjacent Biomedical Biological Science Research Building, and is expected to be part of the new university research campus. [cite web | title=Biomedical/Biological Sciences Research Building | publisher=University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital | date=17 November, 2006 | url=http://ukcc.uky.edu/cgi-bin/dynamo?maps.391+campus+0509 ] Other recent announcements include the construction of the new $450 million Albert B. Chandler Hospital, which will be one of the largest projects in the state's history in terms of size and economic impact. cite news | title=Officials Break Ground on New UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital | first=Amanda | last=Nelson | publisher=University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital | date=30 May, 2007 ]

Controversies

On January 12, 2007, the university's "Domestic Partner Benefits Committee" unanimously voted recommending domestic partner benefits, such as health insurance and employee education benefits, to homosexual couples and unmarried heterosexual couples to help enhance the university's competitiveness in attracting top faculty and staff, part of the "Top 20" plan.Citation | last=Jester | first=Art | title=UK Closer to Partner Benefits | date=13 January, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A1 | year=2007 ] Citation | last=Jester | first=Art | title=Todd backing partner benefits | date=21 April, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A1 | year=2007 ] The program stemmed from a work-life survey of university employees in 2005 and 2006, and led to several proposals to improve employee conditions that would affect 13,600 employees, of which 68 are same-sex partners, and 272 opposite-sex partners.Citation | title=Summary of UK's Domestic Partner Benefits Proposal | date=13 January, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A7 | year=2007 ] The estimated cost of the original domestic partner benefits program would be $633,000 annually, less than 1% of the university's $68.2 million annual health care budget;Citation | last= | first= | title=A fairer system - UK should approve domestic-partner benefits | date=18 January, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A14 | year=2007 ] 40% of which would be paid from the university's undesignated general funds, with the remainder coming from various grants, contracts, athletics, and hospital revenues.

The measure was supported by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, but opposed by the Family Trust Foundation and The Family Foundation of Kentucky. [cite web |url=http://www.tffky.org/articles/Press%20Releases/oped%2020070219%20RN.html |title=Domestic partnership debate hits home |last=Nelson |first=Richard |publisher=The Family Foundation of Kentucky |date=19 February, 2007 |accessdate=2007-06-08] The measure was also opposed by state House Republican Stan Lee, who filed a bill to ban domestic partner coverage at Kentucky's public universities,Citation | last=Blackford | first=Linda | title=UK Employees Receive Survey | date=24 January, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A16 | year=2007 ] and by state House Republican Vernie McGaha, who sponsored Senate Bill 152 to ban state and local governments, public and private colleges, and some quasi-government institutionsCitation | last=Stamper | first=John | title=Ban on domestic partner benefits fails | date=8 March, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A1 | year=2007 ] from offering domestic partner benefits.Citation | last=Stamper | first=John | title=Partner benefits bill called a charade | date=2 March, 2007 | newspaper=Herald-Leader | pages=A1 | year=2007 ] Both bills were never passed.

University President Lee T. Todd, Jr. endorsed the benefits proposal on April 24, 2007. The original proposal was slated to go into effect on July 1 with the university being only the second public college in the state to offer such benefits. Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo stated on June 1, 2007, however, that the benefits package violated the constitutional definition of marriage.cite news | title=Attorney General Issues Opinion On Same-Sex Benefits | date=1 June, 2007 | publisher=WLKY-TV | url=http://www.wlky.com/news/13427902/detail.html ]

On June 18, the "Sponsored Benefits Plan", an amended plan that eliminates the conflict with the definition of marriage in the Kentucky Constitution, took effect on July 1. The revised plan uses no state appropriated funds.cite news | url=http://kentucky.com/211/story/101709.html | title=UK alters plan for partner coverage | author=Boehnke, Megan and Art Jester | publisher="Herald-Leader" | date=19 June, 2007 ]

Campus

The University of Kentucky is home to numerous notable structures, such as Main Building, a four-story administration building dating to 1882,cite web | title=A Chronology of UK | publisher=University of Kentucky Special Collections & Digital Programs Division | date=2 January, 2008 | accessdate=2008-01-02 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/libpage.php?lweb_id=311&llib_id=13 ] and Patterson Office Tower, the tallest building on campus. The university is also home to several major construction projects, including the new Albert B. Chandler Hospital and the Biological Pharmaceutical Complex Building, which will be the largest academic building in the state.cite web | title=Future of Pharmacy | url=http://www.mc.uky.edu/pharmacy/building.html | accessdate=2007-04-05 ]

The University of Kentucky once operated 14 community colleges with more than 100 extended sites, centers and campuses under the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, but relinquished control under the Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997.cite news | last=Gilmore | first=Amanda | title=Merger of ACC, ATC completed | publisher=The Independent (Ashland) | date=1 July, 2003 | accessdate=2008-01-02 | url=http://commentsengine.cnhi.zope.net/archives/dailyindependent/story_detail?story_id=7782 ] The network of community colleges is now known as the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Adjoining Lexington Community College, despite the reorganization of the community colleges, remained integrated with the university, but separated from the University of Kentucky in 2004 and became a part of KCTCS.

The College of Engineering currently operates a satellite campus in Paducah, located on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.cite web | title=A Rich Heritage: A Historic Timeline | publisher=West Kentucky Community and Technical College | year=2007 | accessdate=2007-01-07 | url=http://www.westkentucky.kctcs.edu/aboutus/wkctcdhist.shtml ]

Academics and demographics

The university features 16 colleges, a graduate school, 93 undergraduate programs, 99 master programs, 66 doctoral programs, and four professional programs. cite web | title=Consolidated Financial Statements | date=2006-06-30 | publisher=University of Kentucky | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AnnualReport/2006_UK_Consolidated_Statement_with_cover.pdf ]

Libraries

The university is home to 15 campus libraries. [cite web | title=University of Kentucky Libraries | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=19 December, 2007 | accessdate=2008-01-02 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/index.php ] Among them is the William T. Young Library, which houses the university's social sciences, humanities and life sciences collections; the library also acts as a federal depository and a public library for the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

* Agricultural Information Center
* Chemistry-Physics Library
* Design Library
* Distance Learning Library Services
* Education Library
* Geological Sciences Library
* Law Library
* Library Link at the Patterson Office Tower
* Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center
* Mathematical Sciences Library
* Medical Center Library
* Shaver Engineering Library
* Special Collections and Digital Programs
* William T. Young Library

Colleges

* College of Agriculture
* College of Arts and Sciences
* College of Business and Economics
* College of Communications & Information Studies
* College of Dentistry
* College of Design
* College of Education
* College of Engineering
* College of Fine Arts
* College of Health Sciences
* College of Law
* College of Medicine
* College of Nursing
* College of Pharmacy
* College of Public Health
* College of Social Work
* [http://www.gradschool.uky.edu/ The Graduate School]

Rankings

Currently the university's undergraduate program is ranked 122nd in the nation, and tied with the Catholic University of America, according to "U.S. News & World Report's" college rankings.cite news| url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php| title=America's Best Colleges 2008|year=2007|publisher="U.S. News & World Report" | accessdate=2007-08-16] The University of Kentucky has "Top 20" programs in:
* Anatomy and neurobiology,cite web|url=http://www.uky.edu/PR/News/040625_nih_top-20.htm|title=Medicine Departments Rank in NIH Top-20|year=2004|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06]
* Clinical psychology,
* Diplomacy/international relations at the Patterson School,cite web|url=http://www.pattersonschool.uky.edu/pdf/20TopMastersPrograms.pdf|title=Inside the Ivory Tower| year=2006| publisher= [http://www.foreignpolicy.com Foreign Policy] | accessdate=2007-02-06|format=PDF]
* Educational psychology,
* Entomology,
* Hispanic studies,cite web|url=http://www.as.uky.edu/about/Pages/ASFacts.aspx|title=A&S Facts|date=8 January, 2008|publisher=University of Kentucky|accessdate=2007-02-06] [cite web|url=http://www.usagnet.com/state_headlines/state_story.php?tble=KY2007&ID=29|title=Two College of Agriculture Departments Rank in Top 10 Nationally|publisher= [http://www.usagnet.com USAgNet] |year=2007|accessdate=2007-02-06]
* Martin School of Public Policy and Administration,
* Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics,
* Molecular and Biomedical Pharmacology,
* Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry,
* Nursing,
* Pharmacy,cite news | last=Mitchell | first=Erica | title=Grad programs rise in rankings | publisher=Kentucky Kernel | date=6 April, 2007 | accessdate=2007-04-06 ] cite web | title=Stats-at-a-glance | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=23 May, 2007 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AboutUK/facts.html ]
* Physiology,
* Plant pathology,
* Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health,
* Sanders-Brown Center on Aging,
* Surgery,cite web|url=http://www.mc.uky.edu/medicine/admin/factbook.asp|title=College of Medicine Facts|year=2006|publisher=University of Kentucky College of Medicine|accessdate=2007-04-09]

The university also ranks 19th in the nation among public research universities based upon the level of faculty scholarly activity, according to the 2005 Faculty Scholarly Activity Index.

The College of Law is the only graduate school at UK included in "U.S. News & World Report's" graduate school rankings, and its ranking is 60th. [cite web|url=http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/law/brief/lawrank_brief.php|title= America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Top Law Schools|year=2007|publisher="U.S. News & World Report"|accessdate=2007-12-01] Both the College of Medicine and the Gatton College of Business and Economics did not make their respective lists. [cite web|url=http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/med/brief/mdrrank_brief.php|title= America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Top Medical Schools|year=2007|publisher="U.S. News & World Report"|accessdate=2007-12-01] [cite web|url=http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/mba/brief/mbarank_brief.php|title= America's Best Graduate Schools 2008: Top Business Schools|year=2007|publisher="U.S. News & World Report"|accessdate=2007-12-01]

Research and endowment

The University of Kentucky currently has an endowment of $831.8 million, as of 2007. Prior endowments were $538.4 million in 2005 and $195.1 million in 1997, the rapid increases partially attributed to the "Top 20" Plan. Currently, the William T. Young Library book endowment is the largest among public universities in the United States.

Conferences

The University of Kentucky hosts the annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference. The 2008 conference (April 17–19) was the 61st annual.

"Top 20 Plan"

In 1997, the Kentucky General Assembly formed a compact with the university. The Top 20 Plan mandates that the University of Kentucky becomes a Top 20 public research university by 2020.cite web|last=Todd|first=Lee|title=UK Reaching Top 20 Critical to Moving Kentucky Forward | publisher=University of Kentucky|date=28 February, 2007|url=http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/whytop20.htm ] According to the compact, states with "Top 20" universities feature higher average household incomes, higher education attainments, healthier lives and more financial security.cite web|title=Top 20 Business Plan Presentation | publisher=University of Kentucky|year=2005|accessdate=2007-02-28 | url=http://www.uky.edu/OPBPA/Top20/Top20_sm.pdf ] As a result, fewer citizens live in poverty and as a result, fewer public dollars are spent on health care. The plan would also spur technological advancements due to university-based research and increase the marketability of the state to investors.

As part of the "Top 20" plan, the university plans to,
# Increase enrollment by 7,000 students to 34,000;
# Increase the state's highest graduation rate by 12% to 72%;
# Increase the number of faculty by 625 to total 2,500;
# Increase research expenditures by $470 million to total $768 million per year; and
# Increase the university's role in Kentucky's "schools, farms, businesses and communities."

The "Top 20" plan has already produced results,
# Total enrollment increased from 24,061 in 1996 to 26,440 in 2004, an increase of 2,379.
# The graduation rate increased from 48.1 percent in 1991 to 59.5 percent in 1998.
# Research expenditures increased from $124.8 million in 1996 to $297.6 million in 2003. It dipped slightly to $274 million for 2005. It is currently ranked 28th among public universities in sponsored research.
# Endowment increased from $195.1 million in 1997 to $538.4 million in 2005.
# Increasing the university's six-year graduation rate to 60% in 2007 from 50.8% in 1998.

In 2000, to help finance the "Top 20" plan, the university launched "The Campaign for the University of Kentucky", a $600 million fundraising effort that was used to "enhance facilities, academic programs, public service, and scholarships." It passed that goal and the effort was raised to $1 billion. In March 2007, $1.022 billion was raised, months before the fundraising effort was set to end. [ cite news | url=http://www.uky.edu/ukymain/spots/spot-10106.html | title=Surpassing the Goal | publisher=University of Kentucky | year=2007 ]

According to the "Statewide Facilities Condition Assessment Report" released on April 4, 2007, the University needs $12.5 billion to complete the 1997 mandate to become a "Top 20" institution. [cite news | last=Jester | first=Art | title=Report: Kentucky needs $12.5 billion for university facilities by 2020 | publisher="Herald-Leader" | date=7 April, 2007 | url=http://kentucky.com/181/story/33904.html | accessdate=2007-04-03 ]

tudent life

The university offers seven main dining facilities, 23 residence halls, and numerous recreation facilities spread between three distinct campuses: north, south, and central. It is also home to more than 250 student-run organizations.

Athletics

Beginning in the 1890s, students at the A&M scheduled football games with neighboring colleges.cite web | title=History Briefs | publisher=University of Kentucky | date=23 May, 2007 | url=http://www.uky.edu/Home/AboutUK/history3.html ] In 1902, the basketball program began on campus, originally as a women's sport; a men's team was added one year later. The "Wildcats" became associated with the university shortly after a football victory over Illinois on October 9, 1909. The then-chief of the military department, Commandant Carbuiser, stated that the team had "fought like wildcats." The slogan was later adopted by the university, and a mascot debuted in 1976.

In 1930, then-high school coach Adolph Rupp was hired as a basketball coach for the university, a career that would span over 40 years until 1972. During his tenure, he lead the Wildcats to four NCAA championships in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958. The Wildcats later won a fifth championship under Joe B. Hall in 1978, another in 1996 under Rick Pitino and its last under Orlando "Tubby" Smith in 1998.

The university also boasts a cross country national team championship (women's, 1988), eight individual championships in gymnastics, an Olympic medalist in track and field, and 16 national championships in cheerleading.

Other athletic programs sponsored at the varsity level include baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country running, football, men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, the coeducational sport of rifle, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field and women's volleyball. [cite web|title=ukatlhetics.com | publisher=University of Kentucky | year=2008 | accessdate=2008-01-03 | url=http://www.ukathletics.com/] The school also has a popular club-level men's ice hockey team.

ong

Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement, convocation and athletic games is the University of Kentucky fight song: "On, On, U of K".

Greek life

Nineteen sororities and twenty-six fraternities serve the university, representing over 3,000 students with a budget of $3.2 million per year. [cite web|title=Greek Welcome|publisher=University of Kentucky|date=21 September, 2006|accessdate=2008-01-11|url=http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Greek ] The governing bodies include the National Panhellenic Council, an organization for nine historically black organizations, international Greek assemblies, the National Panhellenic Conference for sororities and the Interfratnerity Council for the fraternities. [cite web|title=UK Interfraternity Council|year=2008|accessdate=2008-01-11|url=http://www.kentuckyifc.com ]

tudent Government

In the Spring of 2003, two time President of the Student Government Tim Robinson pleaded guilty in Fayette County Circuit Court to charges of interfering with voter registration. He resigned from his position from student government. The charges were the result of Robinson's failure to turn in 747 voter registration cards to the County Clerk. A voter registration drive was meant to threaten members of the city council that proposed laws to curb student partying. Partying was no new subject to Reynolds. He is credited with bringing street parties back to the university at a level not seen in decades. [Referenced from http://www.kykernel.com/dynakernel/story.php?id=1491 and http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Robinson_Tim_25969505.aspx]

Robinson was succeeded by Rachel Watts, a seasoned member of the Student Government and prominent leader in Greek life on campus. She successfully served two full terms. In 2004, her most entertaining challengers (in their own minds at least) were Shamus Greene and Jason Leaf, of the "Green Leaf Party." The two dormitory resident advisors lead a colorful and entertaining campaign. However memorable their campaign may have been, the Greene Leaf Party was crushed in the general election.

Media

The University of Kentucky is currently served by two independent FM stations. The first, 91.3 FM WUKY, is an Triple-A station and was the first university-owned FM radio station in the United States and Kentucky's first public radio station.cite news | title = About WUKY | publisher = WUKY | url = http://www.wuky.org/aboutus.html | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] The operations started on October 17, 1940 as WBKY out of Beattyville, although the station moved five years later to Lexington.

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department was the home of one of the earliest college amateur radio stations in the United States, beginning with W4JP that began continuous operation prior to World War I. The station broadcasted until amateur radio licenses were granted by the US Government. [cite web | title=The University of Kentucky Amateur Radio Club | publisher=University of Kentucky College of Engineering | accessdate=2008-01-03 | url=http://www.uky.edu/StudentOrgs/UKARC/ ] In 1971, the station was one of the first to carry NPR's "All Things Considered" and helped debut National Public Radio, changing its call letters to WUKY in 1989 to better reflect its affiliation with the university. In 2007, it became the first Lexington radio station to broadcast in high-definition digital radio. The second is 88.1 FM WRFL which has been in operation since 1988.cite news | title = About | publisher = WRFL | url = http://wrfl881.org/about.html | accessdate = 2007-05-08 ] WRFL is operated by students and broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and features music that is spread across most genres.

The campus is also served by the Kentucky Kernel, a student-run, financially independent daily newspaper, with the first issue published in 1915.cite web|title=General Information|url=http://www.kykernel.com/home/generalinformation|accessdate=2007-11-02|publisher=Kentucky Kernel] The official yearbook of the University of Kentucky is the "Kentuckian", first published in 1906. The "Kentuckian" was preceded by at least one previous book, the "Echo".

Alumni

The university has over 140,246 alumni in the state of Kentucky, [cite web | title=Alumni throughout the Bluegrass State | publisher=University of Kentucky Alumni Association | month=January | year=2007 | accessdate=2008-01-11 | url=http://www.ukalumni.net/Maps/statewebmap.htm] 216,737 in the United States, [cite web | title=Alumni across the nation | publisher=University of Kentucky Alumni Association | month=January | year=2007 | accessdate=2008-01-11 | url=http://www.ukalumni.net/Maps/framemap.htm] and 1,119 internationally. [cite web | title=Alumni around the world | publisher=University of Kentucky Alumni Association | month=January | year=2007 | accessdate=2008-01-11 | url=http://www.ukalumni.net/Maps/worldmap.htm] The University of Kentucky Alumni Association is the primary affiliation for former students and faculty, and is located at the corner of Rose Street and Euclid Avenue. The building, dedicated in 1963, is named for Helen G. King, the first permanent director of the association and was former "Miss University of Kentucky." The association also meets at Spindletop Hall, a large mansion along Iron Works Pike, which serves as a central alumni gathering point. [cite news | title=Mission & History | year=2007 | accessdate=2008-01-11 | publisher=University of Kentucky Alumni Association | url=http://www.ukalumni.net/pages.php?page_id=6 ]

The University of Kentucky boasts five governors, including current Governor of Kentucky Steve Beshear, current Governor of Ohio Ted Strickland, and former governors Ernie Fletcher, Paul E. Patton and Tom Jefferson Terral, and former governor, U.S. Senator and Commissioner of Major League Baseball Albert "Happy" Chandler. It also claims Ken Lucas, a former U.S. representative from the commonwealth's fourth congressional district, current U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Carol Gatton, an automobile dealer executive and donor of the largest gift ever to the university, and Paul Chellgren, Chairman and CEO of Ashland Inc.. [cite news | title=Twenty to be inducted into UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni | last=Scharfenberger | first=John | date=10 April, 2000 | accessdate=2008-01-11 | publisher=University of Kentucky | url=http://www.uky.edu/PR/News/Archives/2000/April2000/distalumni.htm ] The university was also the home of Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan, a scientist and winner of the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and William Lipscomb, 1976 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Points of interest

* Commonwealth Stadium
* Memorial Coliseum
* Memorial Hall
* University of Kentucky/Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Arboretum
* University of Kentucky Research and Education Center Botanical Garden
* William T. Young Library
* University of Kentucky Art Museum

References

External links

* [http://www.uky.edu/ University of Kentucky]
* [http://www.gradschool.uky.edu/ The Graduate School]
* [http://www.ukalumni.net/ University of Kentucky Alumni Association]
* [http://www.ukathletics.com/ University of Kentucky Athletics]
* [http://Channel50.uky.edu/ UK Channel 50]