The Kentucky Military Institute (KMI) was a military preparatory school in

Lyndon, Kentucky Lyndon is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2010 census, up from 9,369 at the 2000 census. Incorporated on May 10, 1965, Lyndon became part of the new Louisville Metro govern ...

, and

Venice, Florida Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located in Sou ...

, in operation from 1845 to 1971.

Founding

One of the oldest traditional military prep schools in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, KMI was maintained in the vein of the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

, in that all of its students were classified as cadets. It was founded in 1845 by Colonel Robert Thomas Pritchard Allen (September 26, 1813, to July 9, 1888) and chartered by the Commonwealth of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in 1847.

History

As the Civil War approached, a student "set the buildings on fire and the school was closed down," according to E. F. Bleiler. During the Civil War, the school remained closed. KMI wintered in

Eau Gallie, Florida Eau Gallie () is a section of the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County from 1860 until 1969. That year residents of Eau Gallie and Melbourne voted to merge their governmen ...

, beginning in 1907 (when it bought that

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

) to 1921 (when the Eau Gallie campus burned to the ground). Due to financial troubles, the Florida campus moved many times in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was closed in 1924; it reopened the next year. It moved to

, in 1932, where winter classes were already being held. Charles B. Richmond was appointed as superintendent and the school thrived until the late 1960s.

Closure

The main campus in Lyndon, Kentucky, which was located on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky, began its decline when dwindling interest in enrolling in the military, coupled with higher tuition fees, caused the school further financial trouble. Its final class of cadets graduated in 1971, and closed for good that summer. The campus re-opened the next year as the Kentucky Academy and became a non-military co-ed school. However, it was soon merged into

Kentucky Country Day School Kentucky Country Day (KCD) is an independent co-educational college preparatory day school for junior kindergarten through 12th grade located in Louisville, Kentucky. It is located in northeastern Jefferson County on a large suburban campus. ...

. The old campus was then used by the

Stewart Home School Stewart Home & School is a residential school in Franklin County, Kentucky serving individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The school was established by Dr. John Q. A. Stewart in 1893 on the former site of Kentucky Military ...

Notable alumni

* Glendy B. Arnold, St. Louis judge *

Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom '' Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in ''Rebel Without a Cause ...

, actor; credits included Thurston Howell III on ''

Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...

'' * John Y. Brown Jr.,

Governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-el ...

(attended) *

William Denis Brown, III William Denis Brown III (November 20, 1931 – March 6, 2012) was a Democratic lawyer and businessman from Monroe, Louisiana, who was a member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1968 to 1976. Background Brown's grandfather, the first Willia ...

; lawyer, businessman, state senator from Monroe,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

; attended from 1948 to 1949 * Stephen Gano Burbridge, Union Army major general * Bruce Hoblitzell, mayor of Louisville and sheriff of Jefferson County *

Robert Hoke Robert Frederick Hoke (May 27, 1837 – July 3, 1912) was a Confederate major general during the American Civil War. He was present at one of the earliest battles, the Battle of Big Bethel, where he was commended for coolness and judgment. Wo ...

, Confederate major general *

Robert A. McClure Robert Alexis McClure (March 4, 1897 – January 1, 1957) was an American general and psychological warfare specialist, who is considered as a Father of U.S. Army Special Warfare. Biography Born in Mattoon, Illinois, he graduated from the ...

(Class of 1915), Chief of Intelligence to General Eisenhower's Allied Forces in Europe during World War II *

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

, actor; credits include ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

'', ''

My Darling Clementine ''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Hollid ...

'' *

Wendell H. Meade Wendell Howes Meade (January 18, 1912 – June 2, 1986) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky's 7th Congressional Dist ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Kentucky * Samuel Woodson Price, artist & soldier; Union Army major general *

Danny Sullivan Daniel John Sullivan III (born March 9, 1950), better known as Danny Sullivan, is an American former racing driver. He earned 17 wins in the CART Indy Car World Series, including the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Sullivan won the 1988 CART Champions ...

, race car driver; winner of the 1985

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

Fred Willard Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries ''Wai ...

(Class of 1951), actor; numerous television and film credits include '' Best in Show'' and ''

This Is Spinal Tap ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (also known as ''This Is Spınal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi'') is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Christopher Guest, M ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1845 Defunct schools in Louisville, Kentucky Defunct United States military academies Buildings and structures in Sarasota County, Florida Defunct schools in Florida 1971 disestablishments in the United States 1845 establishments in Kentucky Schools in Franklin County, Kentucky