Eastern Kentucky University

About Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University boasts a rich heritage of outstanding service to the region and Commonwealth of Kentucky. The origins of what is now EKU can be traced to the 1874 founding of Central University in Richmond. The roots of present-day Eastern go back to 1906 with the establishment of Eastern Kentucky State Normal School No. 1 on the old Central University campus. 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. In 2010, the University awarded its first doctoral degree -- in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Dr. David T. McFaddin is the University's 14th President.