Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)[4]. It maintains regional campuses in Corbin, Danville, and Manchester, and centers in Fort Knox, Lancaster, and Somerset[5].
History
The University Building, EKU's oldest building, was inherited from Central University.
Eastern was founded in 1874 as Central University. In 1906, the Kentucky General Assembly established the Eastern Kentucky State Normal School as a teacher's college. In 1922 it became a four-year institution and changed its name to the Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College, awarding its first degrees under that name in 1925. The school received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1928; then, two years later, in 1930, it changed its name again to the Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College. Eastern added graduate studies in 1935, and thirteen years later, in 1948, the General Assembly removed the word Teachers from the school's name, and granted it the right to award nonprofessional degrees. It was not until 1966 that the school was officially renamed Eastern Kentucky University.[6]
Academics
Roark Building, home to EKU's Department of Geography and Geology.
Eastern comprises 5 colleges, The Graduate School, as well as the John Grant Crabbe Library. EKU offers 168 degree programs in associates, bachelors, master's degree programs. As well, an Educational Doctoral Program will be offered as of the 2008-2009 school year.[2]
Colleges
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business and Technology
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Justice and Safety
Library
- John Grant Crabbe Library
- Justice and Safety Library Branch (Located within the Stratton Building)
- Music Library Branch (Located within the Foster Building)
In the 2008 edition, US News & World Report ranked Eastern Kentucky University 60th in the Top Southern Master's Universities.[7] Additionally, the Master's Degree program in Occupational Therapy was ranked 24th in the country in the magazine’s recently published “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2009” edition.[1]
Enrollment Statistics
Enrollment map for EKU, Fall 2008
Top counties for enrollment, Fall 2008 [8]
- (*) Asterisk indicates a county that is home to a regional campus
Student Body Profile[9]
- Average Freshman ACT Score: 21.1
- Percent women: 59%
- Percent men: 41%
- Percent White non Hispanic: 91%
- Percent Black: 5%
- Percent Asian or Pacific Islander: 1%
- Percent Hispanic: 1%
- Percent of other or multi races: 2%
Enrollment by campus, Fall 2008
Athletics
Eastern Kentucky University"The Colonel"
Referred to as the "Maroons" until the mid-1960s, Eastern's sports teams are known as the "Colonels." They compete in the NCAA's Division I in the Ohio Valley Conference. In football, they are classified as Division I FCS.
Roy Kidd Stadium - Home of EKU's football team.
The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 20 OVC conference titles and two Division I-AA National Championships in 1979 and 1982. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. With their win over Southeast Missouri State University in 2008, Eastern's football team secured their 31st consecutive winning season.
In 2005, Eastern's men's and women's basketball teams won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championships, earning the men their first bid to the NCAA basketball tournament since 1979. The basketball teams play their home games in McBrayer Arena within Alumni Coliseum, an arena with a vaulted roof and wooden ceiling that uses the Catalan vault as its structural system. The arena was inaugurated in 1962 by then-Vice-President of the United States and future President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Eastern's men's basketball team won the Ohio Valley Conference in 2007. They defeated Austin Peay 63-62 on a last second layup with less than 2 seconds remaining,[2] but lost to the University of North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Student Life
More than 150 Registered Student Organizations are active on campus, including Greek chapters, political organizations, Student Government Association, and dozens of others. Organizations as diverse as the EKU BassMasters and the EKU Anime Club routinely hold events, programs, and fundraisers.
Eastern also has many traditions associated with its student life. Amongst others, "The Corner" is a common area bordered by the Powell Student Center, the Keen Johnson Building and Case Residence Hall where students have gathered in between classes for decades. Formerly known as "Horny Corner" and still called so by alumni for the flirtatious conversations that often occur there, The Corner has remained a central gathering spot throughout Eastern's history. Typically, one wishing to get the attention of the student body as a whole will turn towards The Corner to hang a home-made banner from the rails of the Powell Student Center, decorate the area with side walk chalk, or even stand atop one of the many benches or a planter box to exclaim their message.
Mozart's Grave is the tomb of Eastern's unofficial campus mascot from the mid-1960s, and is marked with a gravestone located behind the amphitheater stage in an area of campus known as The Ravine. A mutt who used to roam campus freely, Mozart was a beloved campus pet and could often be found sleeping under the desk of then-president Robert Martin or lying on the edge of the amphitheater stage during musical performances, a tendency that earned him his name.
Campus media
- EKU's campus newspaper is known as the ''Eastern Progress'. The paper was founded in 1922, after two previous campus newspapers had quit publication. The Progress is published on essentially a weekly schedule during the school year, excluding major holiday breaks, for a total of about thirty issues per academic year.
- EKU's radio station, WEKU broadcasts classical music and NPR news to much of central and southeastern Kentucky.
- EKU's yearbook, The Milestone returned to campus in 2007 after a 10-year absence. A large, typically high-quality volume chronicaling campus life over the preceding year, The Milestone is run by students under the auspices of the Department of Communication.
Greek Life
Sororities
National Panhellenic Conference:
National Pan-Hellenic Council:
Fraternities
North-American Interfraternity Conference:
National Pan-Hellenic Council:
Service Fraternities:
Local Service Sorority:
Business Fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi
Music Fraternities:
Presidents of Eastern Kentucky University
- Ruric Nevel Roark 1906-1909
- Mary C. Roark 1909-1910
- John Grant Crabbe 1910-1916
- Thomas Jackson Coates 1916-1928
- Dr. Herman Lee Donovan 1928-1941
- Dr. William Francis O'Donnell 1941-1960
- Dr. Robert R. Martin 1960-1976
- Dr. J.C. Powell 1976-1984
- Dr. Hanly Funderburk 1984-1998
- Dr. Robert W. Kustra 1998-2001
- Joanne K. Glasser, Esq 2001-2007
- Dr. Charles Douglas Whitlock 2007-present
Notable alumni
Notable Athletic Alumni
- Josh Anderson - (Baseball) Center Fielder, Atlanta Braves
- Yeremiah Bell - (Football) Starting Safety, Miami Dolphins
- Chad Bratzke - (Football) Defensive End, New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts
- Wally Chambers - (Football) Defensive Tackle, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winner of the 1973 Defensive NFL Rookie of the Year Award
- Earle Combs - (Baseball) Former New York Yankee teammate of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Rex Ryan - Head coach of the New York Jets
- Danny Copeland - (Football) Defensive Back, Washington Redskins. Starter on the Redskins Super Bowl XXVI champions. Currently a motivational speakerin Meigs, Georgia.
- Jason Dunn - (Football) Veteran Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs
- George Floyd - (Football) Defensive Back, New York Jets Member of the College Football Hall of Fame
- Myron Guyton - (Football) Defensive Back, New York Giants and New England Patriots. Starter on Giants Super Bowl XXV champions. Currently a successful businessman in suburban Atlanta.
- Jackie Humphrey - (Track and Field) Member of the 1988 U.S Olympic Team
- Chris Isaac - (Football) CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1982
- John Jackson - (Football) Former NFL Tackle (171st person in NFL history to play in at least 200 games)
- Aaron Jones - (Football) Former NFL Defensive End
- Roy Kidd - (Football/Baseball) Eighth winningest coach in college football history, two time NCAA National Champion (1979 and 1982). Member of the College Football Hall of Fame
- Antwaun Molden - (Football) 3rd Round (79th Overall) Pick of the Houston Texans in 2008 NFL Draft
- Dan Patrick - gained fame as co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter, attended EKU for two years on a basketball scholarship.
Recent Changes
Some recent changes have been the Fresh Food Company in the upstairs of the Powell Building, handrails on the stairs outside, and pedestrian signs on the crosswalks.
References
External links
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Coordinates: 37°44′17.31″N 84°17′56.70″W / 37.7381417°N 84.299083°W / 37.7381417; -84.299083
