1925

The College of Commerce was created from the Department of Economics. Initially, the college occupied a single room in White Hall. The college's first dean was Professor Edward Wiest, a professor in what was the Department of Economics.

1926

The college receives full accreditation by the AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

1948

Professor Cecil C. Carpenter named dean. Enrollment tops at 1,000 students. Publication of the Commerce Employment Association's "Bargains in Brains" to aid student placement begins.

1952

The MBA degree offered as veterans returned to attend college on the GI bill. Enrollment peaks 200 graduating per year.

1964

The college's new building is completed. The college consists of two academic departments: the Department of Economics and the Department of Business Administration. (The Department of Accounting was created in 1967.)

1965

Professor Charles F. Haywood named dean. During Dean Haywood's term, the number of students graduating doubled; the entire undergraduate curriculum is revised, and the college begins offering a DBA program.

1968

College renamed the College of Business & Economics.

Late 1960s

Reorganization and expansion of the Bureau of Business Research occurs. The Management Center, the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR), and the Kentucky Council of Economic Advisors are created and programs for technical and research assistance to state agencies and local governments are added. Enrollment continues to grow at a rapid pace.

1974

Professor William W. Ecton named acting dean of the college.

1976

Prof. Ecton becomes the second alumnus of the College to serve as dean. The Business Advisory Council is established, ties to the business community are strengthened, and the College's international and continuing education programs are expanded.

1981

Professor Richard W. Furst becomes the college's fifth dean. He creates the University of Kentucky Business Partnership Foundation , an affiliated corporation to assist the college in establishing chairs, professorships and scholarship support, and to advise on the college's growth.

1982

The college establishes Business Exchange, a newsletter for the college's alumni and friends.

1985

Students hold the first phonathon, calling alumni to request financial support of the college's Carpenter Scholarship fund.

1987

The second group of students receive financial support from the Carpenter Scholarship fund. The college establishes the Singletary Scholarship fund to benefit graduate students. The first summer study abroad program in Vienna, Austria, in cooperation with the Wirtschaftsuniversitat Wien, the Economics University of Vienna begins. The Program for Excellence begins, and the Kentucky legislature funds the construction of a major addition to the college.

1988

The accounting programs receives AACSB accreditation.

1989

The college begins expanding international programs and developing new programs in Europe and Asia.

1991

The college receives the first of several large grants from the United States Information Agency to help develop market economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Classes are held in the new facility, and the new electronic information center is named the " Ashland Oil Information Center " in recognition of a major gift from Ashland, Inc.

1992

The college is named one of the nation's "best buys" in business education by Business Week.

1993

The college's Alumni Hall of Fame inducted its first "class."

1995

The Board of Trustees renames the College in honor of Mr. Carol Martin Gatton, Class of 1954, in recognition of his $14 million pledge. The B&E Ambassador program begins. The Department of Economics begins focus on excellence in undergraduate education in economics.

1996

The Kentucky Scholars program is established to attract more of the state's best students to the college's MBA program. The "Center for Small Business Development" becomes the "Center for Entrepreneurship."

1997

The college adds joint-degree programs in medicine, pharmacy, and allied health to established joint-degree programs in law and engineering.

1998

The college began offering a certificate in medical management and began intensive planning for a specialty program in sports management.

1999

Mr. Douglas J. Von Allmen, a 1965 graduate of the Gatton College 's Bachelor's Degree program in Accountancy, and his wife, Linda, give a $5 million gift to the School of Accountancy , matched by $5 million from the Commonwealth of Kentucky 's Research Challenge Trust Fund program. In June 2000, the School of Accountancy is renamed the Douglas J. Von Allmen School of Accountancy.

2001

The Von Allmen E-Commerce Center is established to develop and support the growth of the digital economy within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and to foster and support academic research on electronic commerce.

2003

Dr. Devanathan Sudharshan becomes the sixth dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

2011

Dr. Merl Hackbart becomes the Interim dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

2012

Dr. David W. Blackwell becomes the seventh dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

2016

Grand opening for Gatton College’s $65 million renovation and expansion, funded entirely through private gifts from alumni and friends. New facility has more than 40 individual group study rooms, modern classrooms and collaboration spaces.

2017

The college begins offering the Master of Science in Finance degree.

2018

Dr. David W. Blackwell becomes the Provost of the University of Kentucky; Dr. Steven Skinner becomes Interim Dean.

2018

Dr. Simon J. Sheather becomes the eighth dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics.

2019

The college celebrated its 95th Anniversary.

2019

The college begins offering business data analytics as a minor.

2019

The college launches a real-time online MBA program.

2020

All classes go online during global Covid-19 pandemic. 

2020

Gatton College offers new UK Master’s in Supply Chain Management.

2021

Dean Simon Sheather Named 1st Endowed Truist Chair in Data Analytics.

2021

College launches new Master of Science in Marketing and Master of Science in Strategic Human Resource Management and Analytics.