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THIS IS UNION!In 1879 a group of progressivecitizens followed the prompting ofAbraham H. Harritt, a salesman ofschool desks, and James T. Gibson,the owner of a general-merchandisestore, to establish a college in theBarbourville community. W.W.Sawyers and James D. Black met inthe offi ce of Judge J.H. Tinsley andformed a stock company to launchUnion College.Black, who later served aspresident of Union from 1910-12 and later served as governorof Kentucky, is given credit forhaving named the school “Union.”The institution it would serveCentennial Hallas a unifying infl uence for thecommunity regardless of churchaffi liation or political differences. The Articles of Incorporation were drawn up on Oct. 18, 1879,and provided for the issuance of $20,000 worth of capital stock. The London Echo of Dec. 12,1879, carrying its fi rst announcement of Union, listed the corporation as being “designed to fi ll along-felt want in eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee and western Virginia.”Union was operated under local leadership for the fi rst few years, but began to experiencesevere fi nancial struggles. On Oct. 25, 1886, the property was “cried off” to Green Elliott, whopurchased it for Dr. Daniel Stevenson for the sum of $4,425 with Mrs. Mahala Dowis furnishing thefunds. The renowned Kentucky educator had been authorized to attend the sale by the Board ofEducation of the Kentucky Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.Union’s athletic mascot, the English Bulldog, was introduced during the fall of 1925. The breed,whose ancestors were developed in Britain before the 13th century from the British mastiff andother breeds, was used for bullbaiting and dogfi ghting until these sports were outlawed in the19th century.In 1967, the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity of Union College purchased the fi rst livingmascot named Mack. He was presented at the Homecoming basketball game that same year. Aregistered English Bulldog, Mack died in 1971. His remains are buried in an area adjacent to Union’scurrent baseball complex.During the past seven years, Union College began a major campus renovation and buildingproject. Plans included the creation of new student housing, expanded academic and athleticcenters, and the upgrade of existing facilities. Projects completed were the construction of theStewart-Lyttle Apartments, Sharp Academic Center, Black Technology Center and the renovationof Speed Hall. Union’s athletic facilities have also received facelifts as well. A new brick backstoperected in 2001 at Sanders Field at Jerry W. Carey Baseball Stadium, while a new outfi eld fencewas installed in 2007. Robsion Arena recently had the fl oor repainted, new scoreboards installedas well as new lights, roof and gutters. Two new tennis courts were constructed, while theexisting four were resurfaced, and a new press box was constructed at Burch/Nau Field (football)in 2003. Recently, new locker rooms were built for the football team, while the locker rooms forvolleyball and women’s basketball have been expanded and refurbished. In 2007, synthetic sportsturf was installed at Burch/Nau Field, allowing the complex to now host football and soccergames.Union offers 26 majors in the undergraduate curriculum, which lead to a bachelor’s degree.Minors are also available in many of these programs. In addition, the college offers pre-professionalprograms that are affi liated with other institutions and agencies.Union College also boasts a graduate program The college offers graduate work in educationleading to a Master’s degree, Fifth-Year Certifi cate and Rank I Certifi cate.How many independent, liberal arts colleges in the Commonwealth of Kentucky can boast ofa Nobel Prize-winning graduate? Union College can certainly lay claim to that. Dr. Phillip A. Sharp,the co-winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for medicine, received his bachelor’s degree from Unionin 1966.Campus life starts from the moment the students arrive on campus and continues through theend of the school year. Students can participate in more than 30 campus organizations such asmusic, theatre productions, sports, student government, religious activities and clubs.JUST THE FACTSType: Personally-focused private liberal artscollegeFounded: 1879 as Kentucky’s fi rst college inthe mountainsAffi liation: United Methodist Church; however,Union welcomes students of all faithsStudents: Nearly 600 undergraduatesrepresenting 19 states, Puerto Rico and fi veforeign countriesAcademics: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelorof Science degrees; 26 majors, 20 minorsLocation: Just 17 miles east of Interstate75 in Barbourville, in southeastern Kentucky,located in the foothills of the AppalachianMountain range along the famous WildernessRoad and 30 miles from Cumberland GapNational Historic ParkCampus: Over 100 acres covered in majestictrees, mountain greenery, and Georgian architectureand surrounded by four state parks;20 buildings including our state-of-the-arttechnology center and library, Academic ResourceCenter and new student apartmentsAthletics: 21 intercollegiate varsity sports,including coed cheerleading, three juniorvarsity sports and intramual sportsActivities: Approximately 30 student clubsand organizations; student events includingHomecoming, spring formal, Springfest,lip-sync contests, student dinners, dances,bonfi res and outdoor recreationTechnology: All academic buildings andresidence halls are wired for network access;students receive 50MB of network fi lestorage and personal e-mail addresses; allresidence hall rooms include cable television;Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine lists Barbourvilleas one of the most wired towns in theUnited StatesFinancial Aid/Scholarships: Nearly $2 millionawarded annually to approximately 98percent of Union’s undergraduate students2 www.ucbulldogs.com