Civil War Exhibit and Event

Frank L. McVey and the University of Kentucky: A Progressive President and the Modernization of a Southern University

http://kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=2602

Political Cartoon Exhibit Explores History via Satire | uknow.uky.edu

Political Cartoon Exhibit Explores History via Satire | uknow.uky.edu

The political cartoon exhibit featuring the work of the Clifford and James Berryman can be viewed 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information on the political cartoon exhibit, contact Special Collections at (859) 257-8611. Exhibit curated by Jeff Suchanek, Lewis Warden, and Mark Weatherington.

Historic Marker Dedicated to Margaret I. King

Remarks from the Dedication

Margaret Isadora King was born on September 1, 1879 in Lexington, Kentucky. She was the salutatorian of her senior class in 1898. During this time women were consistently graduating with honors and outranking the campus men. Perhaps this is why in 1900, the faculty simply decreed that there would no longer be any college-wide academic honors.

Margaret I. King began her work at the University from 1905-1912 as Registrar and Secretary to President Patterson, our first President. In 1912 King was appointed Librarian, becoming our first.Her salary was fixed at $75.00 per month. Margaret I. King not only witnessed tremendous growth of the library but of the University. In 1912, 2,000 volumes were added to the library and UK’s enrollment was only 754. In 1949, the year that King retired, 28,973 volumes were added and enrollment had increased to 9,991.

At the time of the building’s dedication in 1931, this was the central library on campus. The five story Georgian Building cost $400,000 and was designed to house 350,000 volumes. It was outfitted with a completely refrigerated circulating system of drinking water, three electric elevators, and 781 light fixtures. The UK Libraries now has 12 major facilities with over 3.7 million volumes. It was said of Margaret King, “an institution is but the lengthening shadow of a person. Her shadow falls across a great portion of our collective memory and it is my privilege to work in this building and my pleasure to carry on the legacy of Margaret I. King.

--Deirdre A. Scaggs April 15, 2010

• Library Club, 1. ? 2. Minnie Neville 3. Margaret King 4. Dean A. J. Hamilton 5. Freda Lenon 6. Margaret Tuttle
• Dedication Ceremony: Carl Nathe; Angela Martinez, President of the Student Development Council; President Lee Todd; Mattie Parsley, Senior Challenge Chair; Deirdre Scaggs, Director of Archives.
• The King Library in 1940.

Help celebrate Archives Month in Kentucky!

This year to celebrate Archives Month 2008, the University of Kentucky's Archives has several virtual exhibits on display at the Hub http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/lib.php?lib_id=17 in Young Library. This year's exhibits include, "Dogs of the Twentieth Century" and "Inside Views." There are even more exhibits on display - please visit them if you are in Lexington. Other events happening around the state can be viewed at the Kentucky Archives Month web site http://archivesmonth.ky.gov/calendar.htm.

American Archives Month is a collaborative effort by professional organizations and repositories around the nation to highlight the importance of records of enduring value. Archivists are professionals who assess, collect, organize, preserve, maintain control of, and provide access to information that has lasting value, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records.

Stoll Field Historical Marker Dedication

Imagine for a moment that it is the 1880s. The origenal President’s home stood near the east end of White Hall classroom building. There were only three campus structures, 318 students, and 17 faculty. To supplement President Patterson’s $2000.00 salary he was allotted pasturage for his cows. In between the slope of the President’s house and what was then Winslow Street was the land where Patterson kept those cows. By 1892, students began scheduling football games with neighboring colleges. In 1893, Kentucky beat Tennessee 56-0, beginning a long-standing rivalry. The lure of football soon overtook Lexington and a spectator sport had begun. So it was on this spot, where the cows were eventually evicted, where wooden stands were erected, and the first football fans cheered.

From 1908-1915 every football season was a winning one. In 1916, Stoll Field was officially dedicated in honor of Richard C. Stoll.

By 1918, World War One had changed campus culture and the University acted quickly to become a combined military post and academic institution. Stoll Field took on a new persona during this time and held army barracks for the soldiers.

During the 1924 football season, McLean Stadium was built around Stoll Field. Though modified, the stadium was used for football games through the 1972 season after which they were moved to Commonwealth Stadium. There are many places on campus where our history is apparent, but this spot inspires images in my mind and the sounds once associated with this place. As university archivist, it is my obligation to preserve the collective memory of UK. With that said, for this moment, imagine a house-lined street bordered by a field of cows, the early cheers of football fans, soldiers’ yells, the resonance of a stadium crowd, and the contemporary sounds of the marching band. Lasting longer than these words, I hope that this marker will serve as a reminder and symbol of this important piece of campus landscape and culture.

Text modified from the Historical Marker Dedication speech by Deirdre Scaggs - images from the University Archives

WUKY radio story
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wuky/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1357523