The University of Kentucky Centennial Celebration 1965
"To all of us, I issue this challenge: that we make the Centennial Year the period
to wage a major battle against anti-intellectualism in American Life." John W. Oswald, President,
University of Kentucky
For the University of
Kentucky, Centennial meant more than a nostalgic look at its past. Of course, Kentucky looked back with pride at
the energy and endurance which had carried the university from its
unprepossessing origins through its early rough-and-tumble struggle for
existence, in a state that was never rich, among people who were never devoted
to learning. Kentuckians had the right
to be proud of a university that had overcome obstacles which might have caused
a less stubborn people to settle for much less.
The real focus of Centennial
was on the future. It was a time for a
realistic look at the University, its weaknesses and limitations as well as its
new strengths and rapid growth. It was a
time for appraisal as well as for celebration.
Both purposes were
served. Years of planning brought
leading figures from the worlds of intellect, of politics, and of the arts to
exchange ideas with Kentucky students and faculty. Graduates who had achieved distinction were
honored. Books, music, art, drama,
scholarly accomplishments were produced.
And for students, alumni, and citizens of the state, there were times
for pure entertainment.
Centennial plans, years in
the making, were announced formally February 5, 1965, at a Centennial Preview
Press Dinner. William B. Arthur,
managing editor of Look magazine and
a U.K. alumnus, was a principal speaker.
At this dinner, President Oswald revealed that President Lyndon B.
Johnson would address the Founders Day convocation. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Clark who headed the
Centennial Committee were also present at the Centennial Preview Press Dinner.
Governor Edward T. Breathitt,
John W. Oswald, and President Lyndon B. Johnson welcomed in the Day of
Centennial. It was a big moment for the
Oswald children, to have the opportunity to meet the President of the United
States. National Media were in force to
cover President Johnson’s speech.
To stimulate the intellectual
life of students, faculty, and the public, the University brought to its campus
distinguished persons from the worlds of politics, religion, the humanities and
sciences. Some taught for a semester and
some took part in the shorter conferences.
Some lectured at the University’s community as well. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in
1955, Dr. Hugo Thorell, the director of the biochemistry department of the
Nobel Medical Institute in Stockholm. He
held a one semester professorship during the Centennial.
The fine arts at the
University produced a number of special events.
In most of these, students took part, starting with pre-centennial
Shakespeare productions, and the Centennial Theater produced plays during the
summer. The Art Department had special
exhibits in addition to student shows. A
contest was held for original music written by students. Verdi’s Manzoni Requiem was performed by the
U.K. Choristers, the Lexington Singers, and the Cincinnati Symphony, and the
performance was to be repeated in Carnegie Hall.
Norman Thomas attracted an
enthusiastic crowd for his lectures and discussions. His visit was sponsored by the Student
Centennial Committee. Sponsored jointly
by the University and the College of the Bible, “Science and Religion” was the
first major conference of the year, by Dr. Julian Hartt, the Noah Porter
Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School.
Chief Justice Earl Warren
took part in the dedication of the new College Law building and received an
honorary degree. Senator Everett
Dirksen, a lively figure from the political world, came to the campus to
address a convocation honoring the late Vice President Alben W. Barkley. The occasion was the unveiling of a replica
of a statue of Barkley that was placed among Barkley memorabilia at the University
library. The original will stand in
Frankfort. Members of the Barkley family
attended the ceremony.
One of the most popular of
the many conferences and symposia held during the Centennial was “Women: Equal But Different.” At the two –day session, attended by 500
women, twelve Kentucky women were honored for various activities and
contributions to their community.
Part of the entertainment for
the AAUP was a horse show staged at Keeneland and a concert by Kentucky
musician John Jacob Niles.
The Centennial year was also
the year of the graduation of the first class from Kentucky’s new College of
Dentistry.
The high point of the
Centennial was Founders Week, 1965. The
principal speaker at the concluding Centennial convocation of Founders Day 1966,
was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Arthur Goldberg.
"We believe that the hundredth birthday of a University
does not mean a task completed, but that it must be the dawn of its
mission. Consequently, it is important
that major emphasis in this celebration be not primarily on the past of even on
the present but rather on the vital role of scholarship in the years
ahead. Essentially today we must
rededicate the University to meeting the problems engendered by our complex,
changing society." John W. Oswald, President, University of Kentucky
From Centennial The University of Kentucky Centennial Observance
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