Remembering Otis A. Singletary

Otis A. Singletary

October 31, 1921 - September 21, 2003

President, 1969-1987

80th Birthday Celebration
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center

Gloria Singletary, Otis Singletary and granddaughter Addie Barret

October 31, 2001

Otis A. Singletary became the 8th President of the University of Kentucky 50 years ago in August, 1969.  He came well prepared as a scholar, an award winning teacher, a nationally recognized historian, first director of President Lyndon Johnson's Job Corps, and an experienced university administrator.

President Singletary liked to quote that often repeated line that a university president needs to be "someone with the physical charm of a Greek athlete, the cunning of Machiavelli, the wisdom of Solomon, the courage of a lion, and the stomach of a goat."  He called upon all of those traits during his very successful eighteen years as UK President.

Dr. Singletary may have found the establishment of the Singletary Scholars Program most personally satisfying.  When many of the current and past Singletary Scholars attended his 80th birthday reception in the Special Collections Research Center, he beamed and wanted to speak personally with each and every student who came.  He often commented about receiving letters from former Singletary Scholars and he was always very proud of their accomplishments.

http://www.uky.edu/Scholars/past_singletary.html

President Otis Singletary Birthday

On this date in 1921 Otis A. Singletary was born in Gulfport, Mississippi.  Today would have been his 96th birthday.  He served as the 8th president of the University of Kentucky from 1969 to 1987.

President Singletary enjoyed having his birthday on Halloween.  During his presidency, UK students would sometimes show up on campus wearing "Singletary masks" celebrating both the president's birthday and Halloween.

In 1981 students serenaded President Singletary in his office for his 60th birthday.

For his 80th birthday, President Singletary, Gloria Singletary, and granddaughter Addie gathered for a birthday celebration in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center along with friends, family, and the UK Singletary Scholars.