Lees College

Lees College was founded on January 8, 1883 by Rev. John J. Dickey in Jackson, Kentucky. It started out as Jackson Academy and was an elementary and high school for the children of Breathitt County by Rev. Dickey from his idea to establish a high school every county in Eastern Kentucky due to the lack of secondary education in the region at the time.

Going through several name changes and battles with accreditation, it would become a private two-year liberal arts college serving the people of Appalachia and Eastern Kentucky under the affiliation of the Kentucky Synod. Also, it is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the region.[1]

In 1996,[2] Hazard Community College would acquire the college and is now used as an extended campus and HCTC's northern administrative hub. It is now known as Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College.

Lees College once grew to an average of 300–500 students per semester and has more than 10,000 alumni up until its acquisition by Hazard Community and Technical College.

History

Founding of Jackson Academy

[3] Rev. John J. Dickey came to the small town of Jackson in November 1882 in an effort to convince the community to start a high school. His mission was to establish a high school in every county seat in Eastern Kentucky. His idea was to convince young men to go to colleges in the Bluegrass Area (Lexington, Winchester, Danville, Georgetown, etc.) of Kentucky and be qualified to do so. Then, for them to return to their communities and allow the young people of these counties to have better advantages. In other words, so education could come full circle and the schools be supplied with better teachers and building of better facilities for education for the youth of the region.

Jackson was just one of the many places he had planned to stop. Yet, his horse became lame with a swollen ankle and he was stuck in Jackson for a few weeks – especially, since there was no train service in the area at the time and horse, mule, or foot was the only means of transportation.

During this time, he visited the homes of many residents in Jackson and found the great need for education in the area. There were only two elementary schools in the town and no high school in the entire county. So, beginning on January 8, 1883, Mr. Dickey began a subscription school with the help of R.A. Hurst (a local lawyer and teacher). They would end up using the basement of the county courthouse as the school. Mr. Dickey became the principal and Mr. Hurst was the assistant. It would open with 51 pupils.

Also, during this time, Mr. Anson G. P. Dodge was staying in Jackson. Mr. Dodge was son of William E. Dodge, a congressman of New York, millionaire, and philanthropist. He was representing the Kentucky Union Railroad Company (later the Lexington and Eastern Railway) and wanted to help build a railroad through the region – specifically the county. Mr. Dodge and Mr. Dickey would come in contact and Dickey would discuss the idea of the school to him. Soon, Mr. Dodge made a proposal of sorts. He told Dickey to relocate to Jackson, build up the morale and intellectual side, and he (Dodge) would build up the material side of Jackson: to allow it to become a "great country". Mr. Dodge, also, proposed an offer of board and tuition to 25 young men of the county for three years. Yet, there was a catch: that the people of Breathitt County would build or provide a school building sufficient to teach and a boardinghouse to stay during the week. That would be the beginnings of what became Old Lees which is today known as J. Phil Smith Administration Building.

The new building would not come easily. Reverend Dickey wanted to secure subscriptions to build the new school building and secure a deed to have the building erected. He proposed to erect a $10,000 brick building to be built in a place yet to be determined, but many people discouraged the idea, doubting that enough money could be raised to build it. Yet, Mr. Dickey was determined that it could be done. In fact, he met with Mr. Dodge in Lexington, Kentucky on July 5, 1883 while on search for a music teacher to bring back to Jackson. Mr. Dodge set a pledge to provide $3,500 for a building if the people of Breathitt County could raise $3,500 themselves.

Trustees of the public school were formed by the summer of 1883: John Jay Dickey (President), S.H. Patrick (Secretary), William M. Combs (Treasurer), S.H. Hurst, E.C. Strong, Willie Spencer, and Sam Jett. This ensured a committee to secure a site for the building and article of incorporation for the continuity of the school.

By October 1883, more than $3,657 was raised for the building and met the conditions which Mr. Dodge had set for Mr. Dickey. Still, there was no property owned on which to erect the building and acquiring a deal and a deed proved most difficult. The school could have been located down next to the river (North Fork of the Kentucky River) thanks to C.J. Little who was willing to sign over 6 acres of land above Hawk Street and Cherry Street (northern end of Broadway) to the Board of Trustees. Yet, Mr. Little's wife would not sign the deed and the deal fell through. Yet, Mr. Dickey had already acquired a deed from Mrs. Fannie Cockrell, of Irvine, for 1/3 interest in a site on September 3, 1884. But, the deed had not fallen through and was not final by the time of the talks with Mr. Little, which was around January 1886.[3]

May 9, 1885 was a historical day for Jackson Academy and the future of Lees College as the school (still an elementary and high school) had its first graduates. They were Cappie Little, Willam E. Bryant, and Sam E. Hager.

Finally, in the spring of 1886, the deed with Mrs. Cockrell went through and the school acquired more than 3 acres of land where the school would stay for the years to come. A contract was made to build the building for $4,680 – a far cry from the original idea of $10,000. It was to be made of brick, with two stories, have a chapel, a bell tower, a basement, and multiple classrooms. This building would not be completed until the summer of 1888 due to many financial complications with the contractor. Also, Mr. Dodge had failed to pay his balance and would end up selling Mr. Dickey his stock with Mr. Dickey assuming responsibility for paying the previous pledge that Mr. Dodge had made.

By July 1890, Mr. Dickey had resigned his responsibilities as Principal of Jackson Academy to take over as editor of the Jackson Hustler, a newspaper in Jackson. He felt that the school was growing enough that he could help in other ways than just being principal, so he took over as editor of the Hustler and provided a column for the academy and promoted it throughout the county. D. Floyd Hagins was elected to succeed Mr. Dickey as Principal.

Mr. Dickey would stay in Jackson until 1895 when he moved to London, Kentucky to help with the building of the Bennett Memorial School which would come to be known as Sue Bennett College.[3]

Acquisition by Central University

During the time in which Mr. Dickey resigned, the Board of Trustees still owed the contractor who helped build the building $4,000 by the summer of 1890. This was due to the failed promise of Mr. Dodge (even though the railroad would come through Jackson) and the failure to collect all the subscriptions sold to invest in the school. So, in response to their debts, the Board of Trustees took steps into looking to have the institute purchased but remain open for the people of Jackson and Breathitt County. On April 13, 1891, the property was sold to L.H. Blanton who was acting representative for Central University [4][5][6] in Richmond, Kentucky. Afterwards, they would change the school's name from Jackson Academy to Jackson Collegiate Institution.

Many new changes came about to the school after the acquisition by Central University. As stated before, the name of the school was changed to Jackson Collegiate Institution. But this did not mean the school was a college. In fact, the onset of Central University changed the school to handle all grades: primary, intermediate, collegiate (high school – for religious organized schools during that time), and the normal department (which was another name for "higher learning" education during the time). Also, due the change of grades, there were new departments added to the school, including: a Commercial Department a.k.a. Military Department, Domestic Science, Law, Music, Art, Ministry, and an even a YMCA branch was run under the institute. With this, the "Principal" title was changed to "Head/Head Teacher" and the board of trustees was kept intact.

Another new change would be the addition of Little Hall, named after C.J. Little who donated the majority of the funds to build a dormitory for the school. It was a 3-story house located off of Washington Av. (where Jackson Hall stands today), behind the main school building and was used as a girl's dorm.

In honor of Mrs. Susan P. Lees

In 1897, another major change would come to the institution. Mrs. Susanna Preston Walker Lees (otherwise known as Susan P. Lees), of New York, would place large donations to the institute; along with others like Mrs. Cyrus H. McCormick of Chicago. This money would be used to remodel the school building with new rooms and a new addition to the building. In honor of the renovation, the administration running Central University decided to rename Jackson Collegiate Institution to S. P. Lees Collegiate Institute in honor of her donations. The main building would be known, locally, as Old Lees.

Mrs. Lees died a few years later in 1902. An article in the New York Times tells of how she "bequeathed $20,000 to go to the endowment fund of the University of Jackson".[7][8]

Another building would be acquired by these donations. That would be that of a chapel in South Jackson across from the railroad depot. It would be renamed the McCormick Chapel in honor of Mrs. McCormick of Chicago. Besides church services, during the weekdays it was used a school as well. Yet, this building would only last a few decades.

Transition in the early 1900s

It was during this time, S. P. Lees Collegiate Institute owning body (Central University) was going through some tough financial times of its own. They had lost a few programs and faced low enrollment. So, Central University merged with the institute it had split with three decades before, Centre College. All institution control went to Centre College's main campus in Danville and the university changed its name to Central University of Kentucky (it would change back to Centre College in 1918 due to a Kentucky legislation ruling). All the buildings in Richmond would become the basis of a new institution in 1906 known as Eastern Kentucky State Normal School which is today known as Eastern Kentucky University—they embrace the Central University heritage.

In October 1906, S.P. Lees Collegiate Institute, also just known as Lees Collegiate Institute, was given control to the Southern Synod of Kentucky (Presbyterian Church) who had once controlled Central University before the consolidation. The Kentucky Synod would instate a "President" in place of the "Head Master/Head Teacher" position and, as well, keep the Board of Trustees.[1]

Around this time (by 1911) the Board of Trustees sold a piece of property up on Highland Avenue to the Jackson Grade Common School which would build an elementary school and, later, a high school. This would become Jackson Independent Schools or locally known as Jackson City School.

Upgrade to a junior college

In 1917, the Board of Trustees elected Rev. John C. Hanley, D.D. as President of Lees. The board hired him in hopes to upgrade the institution to a junior college. By doing so, it would have to meet the standards of the accreditation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to be declared a "junior college" i.e. biology labs, cafeteria, dormitory space, curriculum, library, extracurricular activities, efficient faculty (with the degrees standard to teach), and so on.

In response, Lees did start a Boys and Girls Basketball teams. They would use the neighboring Jackson City School's Gymnasium (now their old gym) as their home court and would even adopt a mascot: the Bearcats (It would be changed to Generals around the 1950s). But, by 1925 when Dr. Hanley resigned to be president of Sayre School in Lexington, Kentucky, the school had failed to reach the goal of being a junior college.

In October 1927, Lees Collegiate Institution finally became Lees Junior College and offered two years of college coursework. Even though, there would back and forth arguments about accreditation. This was the same time that Jackson Hall (co-ed dorm) opened, as well. Jackson Hall replaced Little Hall after it had been struck by lightning and burned a few years earlier. It was named after the city due to the residents who had made many donations to help build a new dormitory. It still stands today.

Around the same time, national news struck Lees Junior College as they started their inaugural football season. Yet, it was not start of a team that was news, but the score versus an institution with a more solid football background at the time. "St. Xavier U. beats Lees College: 132-0". Many of the players where still in high school (Jackson City) and new to football.

Dr. Van Meter saves the college

In the summer of 1928, President Donald W. Miller left his position from Lees Junior College and Dr. Jesse O. Van Meter was hired as acting President. In doing so, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees asked Dr. Van Meter to keep it open until February 1, 1929 when it was assumed the institute would be shut down. It was due to keeping up with a few financial difficulties and keeping up with the accreditation board which had been an ongoing battle.

Yet, in less than a year, Dr. Van Meter had changed things around to have a fully accredited faculty, clean facilities, cemented sidewalks, and updated equipment (i.e. scientific equipment for labs) for the school and getting the accreditation it needed. Also, the student body had more than doubled of 33 to over 100 students in a semester. Then, two years later, there were more than 300 students. Dr. Van Meter devised an early method of student loans with working with one of the local banks in town – a task rarely heard of in the region. Dr. Van Meter ensured the survival of the school for decades to come.

Around the early 1930s, Dr. Van Meter notices that the southern section of campus was being overtaken by weeds and grass. He wanted to make use of the field, and him being an avid supporter of athletics, he decided to make a field for the football team to play, even though Lees already played their games across the river in South Jackson. Plus, the football team had gained some success as in 1930 when they were crowned Kentucky Junior College Champions. This would be the beginnings of the Barkley Bowl.

The Barkley Bowl, named after (then) Senator and future Vice President Alben W. Barkley, was completed in 1935 and was built thanks to the W.P.A. and publicly donated funds. It was made of concrete on both sides and held a little more than 6,000 people. The home-side bleachers were dug into the hill-side parallel to Highland Avenue, and the away-side bleachers were also dug into the hill parallel to Jackson Hall. Also, there was a concrete stage built against the hill parallel to Washington Avenue.

Besides football, the stadium would be used for other events. It was, sometimes, used as a baseball stadium due to the west side of the stadium being more open. It was, also, a meeting place for the community during festivals or for school events. Neighboring high schools would use it for needed sporting events or extracurricular activities i.e. Jackson City Football (1927–1930s), marching bands, or baseball.

Sadly, this stadium would only stand on campus for 30 years as football ceased around the 1940s (probably with the onset of WWII) and because of the need for more buildings on campus.

Lees would continue to grow through the 1930s and 40s as Dr. Van Meter kept the college growing and built relationships with Jackson and throughout the region. This would allow the college to grow to an average of 350 students a semester. He even acquired a building near campus that was used as a hospital and converted it to a men's dormitory: Bach Hall. Yet, there was a semester or two during the years of America's involvement in World War II (1941–1945) where the college had to shut down for a semester because of low enrollment. But, once the war ended, enrollment came back up and the college continued to run.

In 1948, due to many personal problems, Dr. Van Meter would retire. A few years later in 1953, he would pass away. A building completed in 1957 would be named in his honor: Van Meter Gymnasium. It would be built next to Old Lees and on the west end of the football field. Not only did it contain the gymnasium that would hold 1,500 people, but rooms for the music/orchestra program at the time, a stage for the arts/music program, a student center with a bowling lane, a multipurpose room, and later an electric organ inside the main gymnasium. This all supported by fundraising of the community to an amount of $250,000 under the motto, "Lees College: the Great Mountain Benefactress."

The 1950s, 60s and 70s

After the retiring of Dr. Van Meter, the college continued to grow despite a few disputes over whether to keep accreditation with the college. Robert Landolt (President 1948–58) oversaw the building of Van Meter Gymnasium and the growth of men's basketball (women's basketball had been discontinued nationally in the 1930s due to it being considered "too strenuous" for women and would not return until the 1970s). J. Phil Smith (1958–1959) and Lawrence H. Hollander (1959–1960) administration did not last long, but they continued the growth and prosperity of Lees Junior College. Then, in 1961, Rev. Troy R. Eslinger became President of Lees and would stay for 27 years.

During Eslinger's tenure, he oversaw many drastic changes to the campus of Lees Junior College. One example occurred in the late 1950s or early 1960s; Old Lees was renovated and the bell tower was removed which had stood on the northwest section of the building since its inception. Also, in 1960, Lees fielded its first college baseball team.

In 1963, the Board of Trustees revealed plans to build a whole new dorm room due to the overflow of Jackson Hall and the very small Bach Hall.[9] With the help of the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Meteer, the new dorm was completed in 1966. It was called Meteer Hall in "thanks" to the Meteers, who donated $10,000 towards the building, completing the funds needed to build it. It was built on the hillside on which the former home-side bleachers rested up in Barkley Stadium/Barkley Bowl. It would be used as a boys' dorm while Jackson Hall became a girls' dorm. Bach Hall would be left unused as a dorm, but would be used for other needs of the college. Eventually, Meteer Hall would be doubled in the years to come as it was expanded—going from a size to hold 66 to 130 students.

Around the same time, E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund provided a "second gift" as it proposed to donate $25,000 to the college on the basis that they match the same fund. This would be the start of the plans for the new Library/Science Building on campus. It would be officially named, E.O. Robinson Library/Science Building in thanks to the foundation. This building was completed in 1970 and stands at the corner of Main Street and Jefferson Ave on the north end of campus.[9]

A few other buildings were added to campus during Rev. Eslinger tenure. Even Jackson Hall was fitted with its own chapel on the east side of the building next to Washington Avenue – it is evident to the human eye because it is the only part of the building not built with brick exterior.

[10] By the 1980s, Lees trustees had planned to update more of its campus. They had completed building a pair of tennis courts behind Meteer Hall to be used by the college and area schools. Also, due to an all-time high in enrollment, plans were made to expand programs and for new buildings. For example, in Mary Stamper Begley's "Had It Not Been for Lees", she talks about plans for a new Performing Arts-Student Center that Lees has made and building was to begin in the 1983-84 school year. This was supposed to be near the corner of Main Street and Washington Avenue. Yet, apparently, the project fell through – possibly due to onset of financial difficulties that was to come.

Despite projects falling through, Lees Junior College would officially change its name to Lees College in 1984. It would still remain a private two-year liberal arts school despite the name change.

Rev. Eslinger retired in 1988, having served as president of the college for 27 years.

Financial difficulties in the 1990s

[11] Sadly, in the 1990s Lees would be tied up in financial problems with its budget. This was due to many factors: it being a private college in a region of poverty; the spread of public institutions nearby; competition with other institutions for funding; little endowment; and many other factors. In reality, enrollment was not the problem – the college was about normal with about a 350 student population.

The Board of Trustees would ask Dr. Charles Derrickson (a former alumnus and faculty member of Morehead State University) to help fix the situation after Rev. William Bradshaw resigned to move to another institution in 1992. Dr. Derrickson would find that it was financially difficult to keep the college going and felt that the only way to not have the doors closed would be to have an outside institution take over. He convinced the board that this was the case.

So, Derrickson looked into several different institutes including Morehead State University, Pikeville College (now University of Pikeville), and the University of Kentucky. Eventually, the University of Kentucky would find interest as they had tried to acquire Sue Bennet College (ironically another school founded by John D. Dickey), but this had fallen through due to a disagreement with SBC's board. Yet, some people were interested in keeping Lees a private institution. So, they would look into doing so by finding people that would be interested in assisting in the funding. This would not prevail as they got no response from investors. And, thus, the board and the President felt it best that the University of Kentucky should take over the campus.

In several meetings with UK's President Charlie Wethington, they found out that the college would have to be taken in by the community college in Hazard since before 1997, Hazard Community College (and a few other community colleges) where components of the University of Kentucky. Plus they could not just establish it as a separate community college due to it having to go through boards, past U.K.'s Board of Regents, and even pass Kentucky legislature.

So, in December 1995, President Derrickson and the Board of Trustees signed the land and the facilities over to the University of Kentucky. This transfer would officially take place in July 1996 once the Fall academic year began. Many local residents disagreed with this move, but many would understand that to keep the campus open, this was the best option at its time.

Lees College would become Lees College Campus of Hazard Community College. This name only stuck for a year when the KCTCS was formed by Kentucky Lesiglature by passing the Postsecondary Improvement Act of 1997. That is when all community colleges were transformed and became their own independent system (away from their relying universities) and added technical campuses as well. So, the campus would become Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College.

Lees College, Inc. still continues to financially support the campus and its students today.

Principals, heads and presidents

Principals

Headmasters

Presidents

Campus

Former campus buildings and facilities

Future

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 Kentucky Encyclopedia. 1992. by the University Press of Kentucky.
  2. ↑ Hazard Community and Technical College., accessed June 27, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Sam Hager., "The Jackson Times" 1950, accessed June 27, 2011.
  4. ↑ EKU., "Central University Records", accessed June 30, 2011.
  5. ↑ Centre College., "CentreCyclopedia - Lees College", accessed June 30, 2011.
  6. ↑ Centre College., "Central College - Central University Archives", accessed June 30, 2011.
  7. ↑ New York Times., "$20,000 for a College...", accessed June 30, 2011.
  8. ↑ New York Times., "$20,000 for a College: Mrs. Lees", accessed June 30, 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Lees Trustees Reveal Plans For New Dorm". Nov. 28, 1963. The Jackson Times.
  10. ↑ "Had It Not Been For Lees". By Nancy Stamper Begley. Published by Lees Junior College. Jackson, KY.1983.
  11. ↑ History of Kentucky's Community Colleges., "John Klee Interviews Dr. Derrickson". University of Kentucky Oral History Project, interviewed November 3, 2006. Accessed July 1, 2011.

External links

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