Compiled by
Charles Hay
Eastern Kentucky University
Introduction
to the Central University Collection
Historical Sketch
of Central University
Important Dates
in the History of Central University
I.
Alumni Association Series
II.
Associated Institutuions Series
III. Board
of Curators Series
IV.
Chancellor's Series
V.
Consolidation with Centre College Series
VI.
Faculty Series
VII.
Financial Series
VIII. Historical
and Biographical Series
IX.
Legal Series
X.
Photograph Series
XI.
Publications Series
XII. Students
Series
Eastern
Kentucky University has been interested in the history of Central
University for a number of years.
Although Central University consolidated
with Centre College at Danville
in 1901 and ceased to exist in Richmond,
several of her influential graduates
from Madison County desired to continue
higher education activities at Richmond.
They vigorously pushed for the
Kentucky General Assembly's passage
of the Normal School enabling legislation
in 1906. These citizens also
were directly instrumental in Richmond and the
physical plant of Central University
being selected as the site for one of the
recently approved state normal schools.
Therefore, Eastern Kentucky
University's heritage can rightfully
be traced back to 1873 and the
establishment of Central University.
Eastern
Professor of History Jonathan Truman Dorris devoted considerable
time to locating any tnformation
he could secure on Central University while
researching and writing the history
of Eastern. In 1934 he published an
article in the Register of the Kentucky
Historical Society on the history of
old Central. Dorris collected
numerous documents on Central University
through the years and donated many
of them to the Crabbe Library. He also
had permission from Centre College
officials to copy the minutes from the Board
of Curators of Central University.
Interest
in Central University's history was revived again in 1974 when
Eastern celebrated the centennial
year of higher education in Richmond. By
1977 the newly created University
Archives began gathering documents on
Central University. The Archives
copied all existing Central University
records in the Crabbe Library and
received donations of several previously
unknown University publications.
In 1979 the Archivist contacted Centre
College librarian, Mr. John May,
and inspected their archives files for
documents on Central University.
Unfortunately, the archives was not
organized, but the Archivist uncovered
a number of documents that were not in
Eastern's archives. Permission
was granted to copy those records. Several
years later Centre received a grant
from the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission to process
and catalog all of its archival records.
Mr. John Le Doux, project archivist,
processed the archives and graciously
permitted Eastern to photocopy or
microfilm any newly uncovered Central
University materials. A special
thanks must be extended to Mr. Stan Campbell,
Director of Doherty Library at Centre,
and his assistant, Mr. Robert Glass,
for being so cooperative during
the entire project.
The records
of Central University help to document in part the turbulent
post-Civil War era in Kentucky educational
and religious history. Since the
bulk of the collection had no organization,
the Archives imposed its own
pattern of arrangement. Unfortunately,
for the researcher there are numerous
gaps in the records. Actions
taken by the University's governing bodies, the
Alumni Association and Board of
Curators, are completely documented in their
minutes of meetings. Also,
the information on the University's official history
can be gleaned from a fine set of
publications - the catalogs and yearbooks.
However, the records from the office
of the chief executive officer, the
Chancellor, are very incomplete
Hardly any documents from Chancellor Breck's
administration have survived, and
only the latter years of Chancellor Blanton's
tenure are adequately documented,
especially the Robb cheating controversy case.
Note: Townsend Collection has
a small Central University Collection of misc.
items including account books, literary
society minutes, and other records.
Call No. is LD 881 .R42 A310.
Central
University was founded as the result of a split of the
Presbyterian Church in Kentucky
into Northern and Southern branches. While
the Presbyterian Church had split
into two branches in 1861, principally over
the issue of slavery, the Church
did not split in Kentucky until 1867. The
branches both claimed control of
Centre College in Danville, and it finally
took a Federal court in 1871 to
determine that the Northern branch controlled the
institution. A group of concerned
members of the Southern Synod met in 1872
and formed the Alumni Association
of Central University Members included
Alumni of Centre College as well
as other prominent leaders of the movement.
The Alumni Association offered to
cooperate with the Synod in establishing a
university.
At a meeting
of the Alumni Association in Louisville, in February, 1873,
an effort to provide synodical control
of the University was defeated.
Central University received a charter
from the State Legislature on March 3,
1873. The charter placed the government
of the University in the hands of
those who had endowed it and who
would later become its graduates and whom the
Alumni Association might thereafter
elect.
The Association
called for an endowment of $150,000 but received pledges
for $220,000. Anchorage, Kentucky
was selected as the site for the University,
but when the citizens of Richmond
and Madison County pledged $101,000, the
school opened there on September
22, 1874 with a total of 224 students and one
newly built classroom building.
The original college organization consisted of
a College of Letters and Science,
a College of Law, and a Preparatory
Department in Richmond, and a College
of Medicine, in Louisville.
In 1886
a College of Dentistry was opened in Louisville. And in the
1890s three associated institutions
opened: Jackson (S. P. Lees) Collegiate
Institute (1890) in Breathitt County,
Hardin Collegiate Institute (1892) in
Elizabethtown, and Middlesboro Collegiate
Institute (1896).
The Alumni
Association appointed the Board of Curators, which served as
the trustees. Eventually,
in 1884 the Southern Synod took over direct
control of appointing the Board
of Curators in exchange for the Church's
financial support. The University
itself was headed by a chancellor. Robert
Levi Breck served in that capacity
from 1874 to 1880. He was succeeded by
Lindsay Huges Blanton, who served
until the consolidation with Centre College
in 1901.
Almost from
the outset, Central University had financial problems. The
original endowment was in promissory
notes and pledges, a large number of
which went uncollected due to the
Panic of 1873. Another important endowment
drive was hampered by the Panic
of 1893. Enrollment was also a problem. It
dropped every year of Brecks chancellorship,
and the school never graduated a
class larger than 25. The
University itself became co-educational in the 1890s,
with women first graduating in 1896.
However, the enrollment and financial
problems led directly to the consolidation
with Centre College. Prominent
Madison Countians bitterly fought
the consolidationists, but were outvoted.
Finally on July 16, 1901 the merger
between the schools took place. The new
institution would be located in
Danville and known as the Central University
of Kentucky. An act of the
State Legislature in 1918 changed the name back
to the Centre College of Kentucky.
| November, 1867 Complete separation
of Kentucky Presbyterian Synod into
Northern and Southern branches. 1871
Southern Synod lost court case involving control over
1872
Series of meetings of ministers and laymen of Southern Synod
March 3, 1873 Kentucky
State Legislature granted charter of Central
May 13, 1873
Anchorage, Ky. chosen as site for Central University. Later
Nov. 11, 1873 Richmond chosen as site for Central University. April 28, 1874 Robert Levi Breck selected as Chancellor. August 26, 1874 Rev. James W. Pratt elected President of the Faculty. Sept. 22, 1874 Central University officially opened for classes 1879 Dr. James Venable Logan elected President of Faculty. 1880
Lindsay Hughes Blanton succeeded Breck as Chancellor. Young
1882 Appearance of social fraternities. 1883
Memorial Hall dormitory built. The Atlantis, student literary
1884
Southern Synod took over direct control of appointing members
1886
College of Dentistry in Louisville established. Chancellor's
1890
Preparatory school building built. Jackson (S. P. Lees)
1892
Hardin Collegiate Institute establishedMilitary training
1893
Central University defeated Centre College, 20-18, for
1895
Women admitted for the first time. First issue of student
1896 Middlesboro Collegiate Institute established. Feb 13,1897 First issue of student newspaper, Central News, appeared. Oct, 1897 College of Law reopened in Richmond 1899 Miller gymnasium built. July 16, 1901
Consolidation of Central University and Centre College.
|
Inventory
Box 1
Minutes of Meetings - April 29, 1973 - June 19, 1901 |
Inventory
Box 1
College of Law |
1900
1900-1901 1899-1901 1892-1901 1896-1900 |
Inventory
| Box 1
Minutes of Meetings |
May 28, 1873- July 3, 1901 |
Of particular
interest is correspondence concerning the Robb Case.
Tillnan Robb, son of a close friend
of Blanton's, attended C. U. in 1898, and
was caught cheating on a German
examination by Professor Edwin L. Green. The
faculty voted to expell Robb permanently,
but Blanton defended the youth.
Actually the Robb controversy erupted
over the administration of C. U. and
illuminates the classic struggle
of authority of governance between faculty
and administration. The Board
of Curator's appointed a committee to
investigate charges of fiscal mismanagement
and abuse of academic standards by
athletes brought by the faculty
against Blanton. Blanton staunchly defended
himself (see Blanton to Board of
Curator s Executive Committee, January, 1899
in General Correspondence and Speeches,
1899 folder) and was exonecated by the
Board. There are only three
Blanton speeches: 1899 historical sketch and
report on current state of affairs
at C. U.; 1900 remarks before College of
Dentistry at Louisville; and April
10, 1901 speech before the citizens of
Richmond relative to the consolidation
of C. U. and Centre College.
Inventory
| Box 1
General Correspondence and Speeches General Correspondence and Speeches General Correspondence and Speeches General Correspondence and Speeches General Correspondence and Speeches Box 2
|
1878-1889 1890-1898 1899 1900-1904 Speeches by L. H. Blanton 1898-1899 |
Inventory
Box 2
1901
Inventory
Box 2
1883 - 1901
Inventory
| Box 2
Account Books - Tuition Account Books - Tuition Donation and Subscription Lists Ledgers - General Ledgers - General Ledgers - General Box 3
|
1885 1895-1896 1873-1900 1880-1883 1883 1895-1896 1897-1898
|
Inventory
| Box 4
Biographical Information On: Lindsay Hughes Blanton Elizabeth Blanton Dr. Joseph Blanton Ethel Blanton Robert Levi Breck James Venable Logan Historical Articles on Central University by J. T. Dorris and Fred A. Engle, Jr. List of Central University Board of Trustees and Curators, Professors, and Honorary Degree Recipients Newspaper Articles and General Articles on Central University, including historical data written by L. H. Blanton Ms. S. Russell Letcher - First Woman to Secure a Degree |
1874-1901
June 1894 |
Inventory
| Box 4
Property Transfer of S. R. Smith to R. W. Millsaps Power of Attorney for L. H. Blanton in Estate of William McKinnon S. W. Evans Contract Property Transfer from Jack Desha to Central Univ. Rental of Coal and Warehouse Facilities by Central Univ. Contract Between James L. Engleman and Central Univ. Petition of Equity to Restrain Consolidation of Central College & Central University. Re: Rebecca Shearers Heirs v. L. H. Blanton and Board of Curators Box 4 Memorabilia |
January 27, 1886 November 5, 1886 May 3, 1887 Feb. 23, 1892 Jan. 1, 1900 Aug. 20, 1900 1901 |
Inventory
Box 4
Philip Foster Barbour |
Class of 1884
Class of 1884
|
Inventory
| Box 4
The Atlantis - June 1886, April 1887, Oct, Nov, & Dec 1887. The Atlantis - January, February, March, May, Oct., Nov., 1888. The Atlantis - January, February, October, November, December, 1889. Box 5
Box 6
|
1874-1875
1897-1898
|
Inventory
| Box 7
Class Register - (on microfilm) List of Students Graduating from Central UniversitY List of Non-Graduating Students from Central University Fraternities - Theta Nu Epsilon Charter Fraternity History. Literary Societies Miscellaneous Materials Ms. S. Russell Letcher - First Woman to Secure a Degree |
1874-1901 1874-1901 1875-1902 April 25, 1898 1887-1890 1892-1900 June 1894 |
|
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