Friday, June 29, 2018

FRANK DICKEY NAMED FIFTH UK PRESIDENT

Sixty-two years ago this week Frank G. Dickey became the University of Kentucky's sixth president at the age of 38.  The previous six years he had served as Dean of the College of Education.

The Board of Trustees set the new president's salary at $21,000 or $1,000 more than the Dean of the new Medical School was making.  Dickey's predecessor, Herman Lee Donovan, earned only $12,000 annually, but since the university had no retirement program at that time the Board voted to award Donovan $15,000 each year of his retirement. 

President Dickey and family
Dickey beat out formidable competition for the presidency including Elvis Stahr, Dean of the College of Law and UK Provost, Frank Welch, Dean of the UK College of Agriculture, and Louis Pardue, Vice-President of Virginia Tech.  Stahr would go on to serve as president of both West Virginia University, Indiana University, and the Audubon Society.

Frank Dickey resigned in 1963.