Louisville, University of

▪ university, Louisville, Kentucky, United States

      public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. It offers a wide range of bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs. In addition to the main campus, called the Belknap campus, classes are held at the Health Science Center in downtown Louisville and at the Shelby Campus in eastern Jefferson county; courses are also taught at Fort Knox (Knox, Fort) Army Base. The university has centres for urban and economic research and for applied microcirculation, as well as an automation laboratory for advanced manufacturing techniques. Total student enrollment is approximately 21,000.

      Founded in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, the University of Louisville is one of the oldest urban universities in the United States. The present university was formed in 1846 with the merger of the Louisville Medical Institute (1837) and the Louisville Collegiate Institute (1838). Initially, the medical school was the major program in the university, and until the late 19th century the College of Arts and Sciences floundered. The university was desegregated in 1950–51, and school sponsorship passed from the municipality to the state in 1970.

      Notable alumni of the University of Louisville include U.S. Congressman and Union Army general John A. Logan (Logan, John A) and football quarterback Johnny Unitas (Unitas, Johnny).

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