In 1886, the founders of what would become Kentucky State University petitioned the Kentucky General Assembly for a state-funded college to train teachers for schools aimed at educating African American children.
The Founders were driven with an intent to produce more African American teachers because they believed in the promise of brighter futures for their children through education.
Ultimately, these intentions evolved and created the pathways leading to an Intended Future in higher education that has benefited all citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Kentucky State University became a land-grant college in 1890, and the school's curriculum was expanded adding the departments of home economics, agriculture, and mechanics. The school produced its first graduating class of five students in the spring of that year.
Over the years, the school began to grow and change and so did its moniker.
and change and so did its moniker. After a series of name changes and a refocused mission, the institution became Kentucky State University (1972) and enrolled its first graduate students in the School of Public Affairs (1973).
Today, Kentucky State University is a public institution with an enrollment, including dual credit students, of approximately 2,000 students and 110 full-time faculty members.
The University's diverse mix of faculty, staff, and students has made KSU the most diverse public institution in the Commonwealth, and among the most diverse nationwide.
Though it has changed throughout its nearly 130-year history, KSU has and will remain true to its mission and vision for reaching an intended future.
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