• Sketch
• Collection Description
• CC-131 Histories
• CC-132 Alumni Association
  • A. Minutes
  • B. Donation books
  • C. Subscription sheets
  • D. Speeches and programs
• CC-133 Board of Curators
  • A. Minutes
  • B. Correspondence and reports
• CC-134 Chancellor's Office
• CC-134.1 Robert L. Beck
• CC-134.2 Lindsay H. Blanton
  • A. General
  • B. Relations with Board of Curators
  • C. Tilman Robb controversy
  • D. Speeches and reports
• CC-135 Registrar's Office
• CC-136 Legal Documents
• CC-137 Financial
• CC-138 Associated Institutions
  • A. General
  • B. Caldwell High School
  • C. Hardin Collegiate Institute
  • D. College of Law
  • E. S. P. Lees Institute
  • F. College of Medicine and College of Dentistry
  • G. Middlesborough University School
• CC-139 Library
• CC-140 Faculty
• CC-141 Student Life
  • A. General
  • B. Literary Societies
  • C. Fraternities
• CC-142 Publications
  • A. Catalogs
  • B. Yearbooks
  • C. Atlantis
• CC-143 Newspaper Clippings
• CC-144 Photographs
• CC-145 Microfilm

See Centre College Digital Archives - Financial for digitized versions of selected items from the following inventory

Central University was founded as a result of the split of the Presbyterian Church in Kentucky into Northern and Southern branches. While the Presbyterian Church had divided into two branches in 1861, principally over the issue of slavery, the Church did not split in Kentucky until 1867. The branches both claimed control of Centre College in Danville, and it took a Federal court to determine that the Northern branch retained control of the institution. A group of concerned members of the Southern Synod met and formed the Alumni Association of Central University. The University was chartered on March 3, 1873, and the Association began raising funds.

The Association called for an endowment of $150,000, but received pledges for $220,000. Anchorage, Kentucky, was the location selected, but when the citizens of Richmond and Madison County pledged $101,000, the school opened there on September 22, 1874 with at total of 224 students.

The Alumni Association appointed the Board of Curators, which served as the trustees. Eventually, the Southern Synod took over direct control of appointing the Board of Curators in exchange for the Church's financial support. The school itself was headed by a chancellor. Robert L. Breck served in that capacity from 1874-1880. He was succeeded by Lindsay H. Blanton, who served until the merger with Centre College.

Almost from the beginning, Central faced financial problems. The original endowment was in promissory notes and pledges, a large number of which went uncollected due to the Panic of 1873. Another important endowment drive was hampered by the Panic of 1893. Enrollment was also a problem. It dropped every year of Breck's chancellorship, and the school never graduated a class larger than 25 students. These problems eventually meant consolidation with Centre.

During its existence Central ran several associated institutions. These included a law school, a medical school (located in Louisville), a dental school (also located in Louisville), and a preparatory department. In addition, Central ran three other prep schools in the state. These were the S.P. Lees Collegiate Institute (in Jackson), the Hardin Collegiate Institute (Elizabethtown), and the Middlesborough University School (Middlesborough). The University itself became co-educational in the 1890's with women first graduating in 1896.

In 1901, beset with financial difficulties and small enrollment, Central University agreed to consolidation with Centre College. The new institution would be located in Danville, and known as the Central University of Kentucky. An act of the State Legislature in 1918 changed the name back to the Centre College of Kentucky.

The collection is not particularly rich and is very small, especially when one considers that Central University existed for 28 years. Happily, there are some exceptions to this statement. The minutes of the Alumni Association and the Board of Curators exist in their entirety from 1873 to 1901. It is here that one will find the official history of Central University, since these were the bodies responsible for founding and administering the institution.

The University's publications are also well represented. There are catalogues from every academic year except two, 1879-80 and 1900-1901. Yearbooks remain from three of the last six years of the University. In addition, there are 19 issues of the Atlantis, the student literary magazine.

The papers dealing with the Tilman Robb controversy provide an interesting sidelight. Robb was dismissed from the University by the faculty for cheating on an examination. His father, an acquaintance of Chancellor Blanton, protested. Blanton sided with the Robbs, arguing the penalty was too stiff and that Robb had not had a fair hearing. The lines were drawn and the ill feelings generated between Chancellor and faculty continued beyond the incident. Tilman Robb went on to become a physician.

A major weakness of the collection is the lack of records before 1880. No records remain from the chancellor's office during the tenure of Robert L. Breck. The records from L.H. Blanton's tenure are few in number, considering Blanton served for 21 years. (See also CC-63 L.H. Blanton Papers for material on Blanton after 1901)

There is also little about student life. What does exist is almost entirely programs for commencements or presentations of the literary societies. Fortunately, a complete list of graduates exists, often adding a sentence or two on what the person did upon leaving the University.

Overall, the collection is very small and not likely to give on a good history of Central University. The minutes of the Alumni Association and the Board of Curators will give an official history, but, as a rule, there are not supporting documents in the collection. An exception would be the Tilman Robb incident.

Copies of much of the material in this collection is available at the Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives.