The University of Louisville traces its roots back to April 3, 1798 when eight men set out to establish the Jefferson Seminary and began fundraising. Their idea
came to fruition slowly, the Seminary finally being established in 1813, and left just as
quickly, being closed in 1829.In 1837 the Louisville Medical Institute (LMI) opened and the Louisville Collegiate
Institute (LCI) was chartered. In 1840 the LCI opened and in 1844 it gained control of the land previously belonging to the Jefferson Seminary. In 1846 the Kentucky legislature combined the LMI, the LCI, and a newly created law school into the University of
Louisville. The LCI would fold soon afterwards, leaving just medicine and law as the studies.In the first half of the 20th century many new schools and colleges were added to the university that still exist to this day
including a new liberal arts school (1907), a graduate school (1915), as well as colleges for programs in dentistry (1918), engineering (1925), music (1932), and social work (1936).A college for black students, the Louisville Municipal College
for Negroes, was established in 1931, but it was dissolved in 1951 when the university was desegregated.In the second half of the 20th century, schools were opened for business
(1953), education (1968), justice administration (1969), nursing (1979), and urban
& public affairs (1983).In 1970 the university joined the state system because of financial difficulties caused
by people deciding to leave the municipality and live in suburbs. In 1998 the university
celebrated its bicentennial.