Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a

public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

Richmond, Kentucky Richmond is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States. It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. In 2019, the population was 36,157. Richmond is the fourth-la ...

. As a regional comprehensive institution, EKU also maintains branch campuses in

Corbin Corbin may refer to: People * Corbin (given name) * Corbin (surname) * Corbin (musician), American singer Buildings * Corbin Building, a historic building located at 192 Broadway in New York, US * Corbin Cabin, a log structure in Shenandoah ...

Hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm Harm is a moral and legal concept. Bernard Gert construes harm as any of the following: * pain * death * disability * mortality * loss of abil ity or freedom * loss of pleasure. Joel Feinberg giv ...

, Lancaster, and

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and offers over 40 online undergraduate and graduate options.

History

Founding

Central University was founded in 1874 in

. Beset with financial difficulties and small enrollment, Central University consolidated with

Centre College Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is ...

in 1901. On March 21, 1906, the Governor signed legislation which established the Eastern Kentucky State Normal School No. 1. On May 7,1906, the

Normal School A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

Commission selected the site of the former Central University campus as the location of the Eastern Kentucky State Normal School No. 1; the site continues to serve as the location of EKU.

Renaming

In 1922, "Eastern Kentucky State Normal School No. 1" changed its name to "Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College;" the College awarded its first degrees under that name in 1925. In 1930, "Eastern Kentucky State Normal School and Teachers College" changed its name to "Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College." In 1948, the General Assembly removed the word "

Teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

s" from the school's name. In 1966, the institution was officially renamed Eastern Kentucky University.

Campus revitalization

The years since 2012 have been marked by a building campaign that has altered the campus layout and improved aesthetics. Funding for the multimillion dollar project has relied heavily on public-private partnerships (P3) under the leadership of then-President

Michael T. Benson Michael Taft Benson (born February 28, 1965) is an American academic administrator serving as the president and professor of history at Coastal Carolina University. He previously served as president of Eastern Kentucky University, Southern Uta ...

. The recent construction efforts at the university mark the most significant period of campus facility development since President Robert R. Martin's tenure in the 1960s. Among the renovations and additions are: *Powell Student Center (2019–20) *New Rec Center (2019–20) *Case Dining Hall (2018) *New Science Building (Phase II) (2017) *New Earle Combs Stadium (Baseball Field) (2017) *New Gertrude Hood Stadium (Softball Field) (2017) *Carloftis Garden (2017) *New Martin Hall (2017) *North Hall (previously known as New Hall B) (2017) *Scholar House (2017) *Parking Garage (2017) *Turner Gate (2016) *John Grant Crabbe Main Library's Noel Reading Porch (2015) *Lancaster Avenue Pedway (2015/2017) *Hummel Planetarium upgrades (2015) *1971 Verdin Carillon bells (Keen Johnson Building) (2014) *New Hall 2013 *New Science Building (Phase I) (2012)

Academics

Commonwealth Hall at Eastern Kentucky University

Accreditation and academic charge

In 1922, it became a four-year institution. In 1928, the college received its initial

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

from the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

. As of 2022, the university is accredited. In 1935, Eastern added graduate studies. In 1948, the state legislature granted the college the right to award nonprofessional degrees. In 2010, the University awarded its first doctoral degree through its Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program. EKU serves its service region by offering adult degree completion options and online degree programs in addition to its traditional on-campus offerings.

Rankings

Eastern Kentucky University has achieved national recognition, including mostly recently by the ''U.S. News & World Report'' 2022 Rankings: * #52 (tie) in Regional Universities South (51st in 2021) * #29 Best Graduate School – Occupational Therapy (29th in 2021) * #170 (tie) Best Graduate School – Public Affairs (166th in 2021) * #189 Best Graduate School – Speech-Language Pathology (189th in 2021) * #74 (tie) Best Online Bachelor's Programs (58th in 2021) * #24 Best Colleges for Veterans (32nd in 2021) EKU was also ranked by the 2019 ''Forbes'' Magazine America's Top Colleges: * #641 Top Colleges (637 in 2017 and 647 in 2018) * #248 in Public Colleges (249 in 2017 and 250 in 2018) * #160 in the South (172 in 2017 and 167 in 2018)

Honors program

In 1987, the faculty senate voted to approve an honors program to attract high-achieving students primarily from Kentucky. The Board of Regents subsequently approved the proposal on Saturday, January 16, 1988. The first 34 students entered the program in the fall semester of 1988 under the direction of Dr. Bonnie Gray, a professor of philosophy. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and capped by a senior thesis project. Students who successfully complete all program requirements receive the "Honors Scholar" designation on their diplomas. Each year, the honors program sends the largest delegation to the annual

National Collegiate Honors Council The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) is an association of undergraduate honors programs, college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-award ...

Conference to present their research. Additionally, students in the program have received awards, including the

Fulbright The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

. Truman,

Mitchell Mitchell may refer to: People *Mitchell (surname) *Mitchell (given name) Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate * Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst * Mitchell, Northern Territo ...

, and

Phi Kappa Phi The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (or simply Phi Kappa Phi or ) is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study, and to promote the "unity and democracy of education ...

. In 2020, the program consisted of five full-time staff and approximately 496 students.

Student life

There are more than 230 registered, active student organizations on campus including the Student Government Association (SGA) and numerous fraternities and sororities.

Student Government Association

The SGA is the formal student governing body of the University. Founded in 1954, the organization consisted of the Student Council (which became the Student Senate in 1971). Currently, the SGA consists of three independent and equal branches: the Student Court, Executive Branch, and Student Activities Council. Additionally, an Advisory Board of University employees provides advice and oversight. Every student enrolled in classes at the University is considered a member of the SGA.

Greek life

Traditions

Among EKU's most prominent traditions is the rubbing of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

's left foot for good luck; the statue features prominently in front of the Keen Johnson Building. More recently, former President Benson initiated the Welcome Walk at the beginning of the fall semester; first year students gather in front of Keen Johnson Building with the President before walking along University Drive and passing through the new Turner Gate.

Athletics

The Eastern Kentucky (EKU) athletic teams are called the Colonels (formerly known as the "Maroons" until the mid-1960s). The university is a member of the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

ranks, primarily competing in the

ASUN Conference The ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Divisio ...

since the 2021–22 academic year; while its

football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...

competes in the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...

(WAC) until the ASUN launches its own football league, most likely in the 2022 fall season. The Colonels previously competed in the

Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It participates in NCAA Divisi ...

(OVC) from 1948–49 to 2020–21. EKU competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Accomplishments

The school is best known for its

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

football team, which has captured 22 OVC conference titles and two Division I-AA National Championships in 1979 and 1982. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach

Roy Kidd Roy Kidd (born December 4, 1931) is a former collegiate football league player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won N ...

from 1964 to 2002. Kidd, with a career coaching record of 314-124-8, is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Now led by first-year coach Walt Wells, the Colonels returned to the national FCS playoffs in 2011. The Eastern Kentucky University men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship and its automatic bid to the NCAA basketball tournament in 2005, 2007, and 2014. The men's and women's cross country team has also been a staple of success over the recent decade. The men's team has won all ten of the last ten OVC Championships, and the women have won nine of the last ten. In 2011 the men's cross country team qualified for NCAA National Cross Country Meet for the first time in school history. Since 2011, the team has qualified for the NCAA National Cross Country Meet five consecutive times.

Media

WEKU

Launched in 1968,

WEKU WEKU (88.9 FM) is a Peabody award-winning National Public Radio-charter member station licensed to Richmond, Kentucky serving central and eastern Kentucky, including nearby Lexington. Owned by Eastern Kentucky University, WEKU primarily broad ...

is a charter member of the educational radio network,

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

(NPR). WEKU features

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

news and talk programming in addition to locally produced news, arts and cultural programming. WEKU broadcasts across nine FM stations in Central and Eastern Kentucky: * 88.9 FM

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

/Lexington * 90.9 FM

* 88.5 FM

* 90.1 FM Pineville * 106.7 FM Frankfort * 96.3 FM

Harlan Harlan is a given name and a surname which may refer to: Surname *Bob Harlan (born 1936 Robert E. Harlan), American football executive *Bruce Harlan (1926–1959), American Olympic diver *Byron B. Harlan (1886–1949), American politician *Byron G ...

* 96.9 FM Barbourville * 95.1 FM Pikeville * 102.5 FM Middlesboro WEKU also has a 24-hour classical musical channel which can be accessed via its website and mobile app.

''The Eastern Progress''

''The Eastern Progress'', also known as ''The EP,'' began in February 1922 and serves as the official student newspaper.

Notable alumni

* Josh Anderson – (baseball) former

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Yeremiah Bell Yeremiah Neavius Bell (born March 3, 1978) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Kentucky and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 200 ...

– (football) retired,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

Eula Bingham Eula Bingham (July 9, 1929 – June 13, 2020) was an American scientist, best known as an Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter. During her tenure as the head of OSHA, she el ...

– occupational health scientist * Elmo Boyd – (football) former wide receiver,

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

and

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Chad Bratzke Chad Alan Bratzke (born September 15, 1971) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). College career Bratzke played college football at Eastern Kentucky University. As a freshman, he totaled 47 solo tac ...

– (football) former defensive end,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

and

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

Dwight Butler Dwight D. Butler (born November 21, 1963) is an American politician and was a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives representing District 18 until January 2015. Education Butler earned his BA from Eastern Kentucky Universi ...

– member of Kentucky House of Representatives representing the 18th District * John "Bam" Carney – educator/coach; member of

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

representing the 51st District *

Wally Chambers Wallace Hashim Chambers (May 15, 1951September 22, 2019) was an American football defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears and defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He was selected with the eighth overall pick by the Bears in th ...

– (football) former defensive tackle,

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

and

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

. Winner of 1973 Defensive

NFL Rookie of the Year Award Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...

Sam Champion Samuel James Champion (born August 13, 1961) is an American weather anchor who is best known for his combined 25-year career on the ABC flagship station WABC-TV and ''Good Morning America''. He formerly co-anchored '' AMHQ: America's Morning Hea ...

– weather editor/anchor for "

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

" and

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

; former weather forecaster for

WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neighbor ...

Tom Colbert Tom Colbert (born December 30, 1949) is a former Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Court's District 6 seat in 2004, by Governor Brad Henry, becoming the first African-American to serve on the court. On Jan ...

– first African-American Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice (M.Ed.) *

Earle Combs Earle Bryan Combs (May 14, 1899 – July 21, 1976) was an American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees (1924–1935). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (oft ...

– (baseball) former

New York Yankee The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

teammate of

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

and

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...

, member of the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

* Danny Copeland – (football) defensive back,

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

. Starter on the Redskins

Super Bowl XXVI Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

champions. Currently a motivational speaker in Meigs, Georgia. *

Dale Dawson Dale Anthony Dawson (November 2, 1964 – May 25, 2018) was an American football player who played as a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Biography Dawson was b ...

– (football)

placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...

;

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

, and Green Bay Packers *

Jessamyn Duke Jessamyn Laurel Duke (born June 24, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. As a wrestler, she worked with WWE as part of their NXT brand. She formerly competed for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Inv ...

– professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

formally for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

* Jason Dunn – (football) tight end,

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Alecia Webb-Edgington Alecia Webb-Edgington is an American politician. She is a former Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. She represented the 63rd District, which comprised part of Kenton County. Webb-Edgington was a candidate for the United ...

– former executive director, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security; member of Kentucky House of Representatives representing the 63rd District *

George Floyd George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd may have used a counterfeit twe ...

– (football) defensive back, New York Jets, member of the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

Danny Ford Danny Lee Ford (born April 2, 1948) is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University from 1978 to 1989 and at th ...

– House Republican Whip, member of Kentucky House of Representatives representing the 80th District * Christian Friedrich – (baseball) starting pitcher, free agent *

J. Dudley Goodlette J. Dudley Goodlette (born May 18, 1948, in Hazard, Kentucky) moved to Naples, Florida, with his family in 1954, and is a lawyer. Goodlette served as a Representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. State of Florida from 1998 to 2007, ...

(born 1948), politician and lawyer *

Myron Guyton Myron Maynard Guyton (born August 26, 1967) is a former American football player. He played professionally as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants (1989–1993) and the New England Patriots (1994–19 ...

– (football) defensive back, New York Giants and

New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...

. Starter on Giants

Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...

champions. Currently a businessman in Atlanta. * Ole Hesselbjerg – 2016 Rio summer Olympian *

Silas House Silas Dwane House (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. House's fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working class character ...

– writer best known for his novels. * Carl Hurley – humorist and motivational speaker; former EKU professor. * Chris Isaac – (football)

CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award The Most Outstanding Rookie Award is annually awarded to the player judged to be the best player in his first year in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Frank M. Gibson Trophy winner from the East Division, and th ...

in 1982 *

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

– (football) former NFL tackle (171st person in NFL history to play in at least 200 games) * Aaron Jones – (football) former NFL defensive end *

– (football/baseball) eighth-winningest coach in college football history, two-time NCAA National Champion (1979 and 1982). Member of the College Football Hall of Fame * Kim King – member of Kentucky House of Representatives representing the 55th House District *

Laura Kirkpatrick Laura Sioux Kirkpatrick (born June 12, 1989) is an American model and fashion designer, best known as the runner-up of cycle 13 of ''America's Next Top Model''. She was voted fan favorite in a poll the show held after the conclusion of the serie ...

– runner up of

America's Next Top Model ''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...

Cycle 13 *

Homer Ledford Homer C. Ledford (September 26, 1927 – December 11, 2006) was an instrument maker and bluegrass musician from Kentucky who specialized in making dulcimers. Born in Alpine, Tennessee, he started building instruments at an early age. When he was ...

– former bluegrass musician and member of the Cabin Creek Band *

Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. Majors portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series ''The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin in the American television ...

– (attended as Harvey Yeary)

Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...

(1962, History/Physical Education) *

Antwaun Molden Antwaun Molden (born January 23, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football for Eastern Kentucky. Early years Molden was born in Warre ...

– (football) 3rd-round (79th overall) pick of the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...

* Virgil Moore - former member of the

Kentucky State Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentuc ...

Dan Patrick Dan Patrick may refer to: * Dan Patrick (ice hockey) (born 1938), Canadian ice hockey player * Dan Patrick (politician) (born 1950), Lieutenant Governor of Texas and political and sports radio journalist * Dan Patrick (sportscaster) (born 1956), Ame ...

– co-host of

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

SportsCenter ''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...

, attended EKU for two years on a basketball scholarship. *

Steve Pence Stephen B. Pence (born December 22, 1953, in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American attorney who was the 53rd lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 2003 to 2007. He took office with fellow Republican Ernie Fletcher in December ...

– former Lieutenant Governor and Justice Secretary of Kentucky *

Dallas Robinson Dallas Robinson (born March 30, 1982) is an American soldier and bobsledder. Robinson graduated from Oldham County High School in Buckner Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University and Campbellsville University. He is known as a sprinter but was ...

- Kentucky's sole Army veteran Olympian from 2014 Olympics. Team USA athlete for two years with USA rugby team and four with USA bobsled team. In 2008 was ranked 1st in world in the 55m dash, indoor track and field. EKU Hall of Fame. High School Track and Field Coach hall of fame. *

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, a ...

– former Prime Minister of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

(1975, M.S. in criminal justice) * Garfield Smith – (basketball) former

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

and ABA player *

Teddy Taylor Sir Edward MacMillan Taylor (18 April 1937 – 20 September 2017) was a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (MP) for forty years, from 1964 to 1979 for Glasgow Cathcart and from 1980 to 2005 for Southend Ea ...

– (football) 1969 Milestone Outstanding Athlete, two-time All-American, OVC All-Time Team, 1978 Southeastern Kentucky Football Conference Coach of the Year, inducted into EKU Hall of Fame, named 2013 "Man of the Year" for Richmond, KY. *

Ken Upchurch Kenneth Upchurch (born June 4, 1969) is an insurance agent with Upchurch Insurance and Financial services. He was the owner publisher of the ''Monticello Stage'', a community newspaper in Monticello in Wayne County, Kentucky, who is a Republican ...

– member of Kentucky House of Representatives from District 52 in Wayne County *

Corey Walden Torrian Corey Walden ( sr-cyrl, Торијан Кори Волден; born August 5, 1992) is an American-born naturalized Serbian professional basketball player for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. He p ...

– professional basketball player, 2019

Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP The Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP, or Israeli Basketball Super League MVP, is an annual basketball award that is presented to the most valuable player in a given season of the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is the top-tier lev ...

* Crystal Wilkinson – writer, poet, educator, and winner of 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{Authority control Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Educational institutions established in 1906 1906 establishments in Kentucky Public universities and colleges in Kentucky Richmond, Kentucky Education in Madison County, Kentucky