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Special Collections & Archives: Transy History

Materials, documents, and information having to do with the history of Transylvania

About

The set of archives known at Transylvania as TUA 5 and at UK as Record Group 5 covers approximately 1857 through 1908, when Transylvania became part of John Bowman's project to create one university for the state of Kentucky and was known as Kentucky University.     The University of Kentucky and Transylvania University share history from 1865-1878. In 1878 the state legislature pulled the A& M away from what was known as Kentucky University.  

University of Kentucky Archivists began working to organize, describe, and digitize the materials in 2020 and the work continues through 2025.  You can see the Finding Aid as well as digitized items for this collection here.

UK's description of the records are here -

The Transylvania University Library. Record Group 5: Collection on Kentucky University (dated 1837-2006, undated; bulk 1857-1926, undated; 18.52 cubic feet; 32 document boxes, 5 flat boxes, 21 bound volumes) comprises teaching, student, financial, administrative, legal, and museum records along with printed publications, invitations, and reports of Kentucky University at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and Kentucky University at Lexington, Kentucky, including the Agricultural and Mechanical College sited on the Woodlands and Ashland Estates.