A Vision of Greatness

When John Bryan Bowman rode horseback through the Bluegrass to raise money to realize his vision of a great university, he secured more than $100,000 in pledges. In less than two months in 1865 he received commitments from more than 150 citizens that enabled a new university to be established in Lexington. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Bowman raised the 2009 equivalent of $1,343,386 in fewer than eight weeks.

This tradition of generosity continues at UK today. Recently 243 friends and alumni who’ve pledged to give at least $10,000 to the University were honored at a dinner in the Bluegrass Ballrooom at Lexington Center as new members of the University of Kentucky Fellows Society. Forty nine additional members were honored for commitments above $10,000.

The Fellows Society exists to recognize those donors whose faithful and generous giving is a continuing source of support for programs in the University.