Hamilton College (Kentucky)

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Photos of Hamilton College, 1904

Hamilton College was a private women's college in Lexington, Kentucky that closed in 1932.

Hamilton was founded by banker James M. Hocker in 1869 as the Hocker Female College. In 1878, a donation by William Hamilton changed the name of the school to Hamilton College. In 1889, the nearby Kentucky University, which later changed names to Transylvania University, bought a stake in the school, taking total control in 1903. The school became became a junior college affiliated with the Transylvania until it was closed in 1932. The main building became a women's dormitory at Transylvania until it was demolished in 1962.

The only remaining building from Hamilton College is the Graham Cottage Alumni House, the alumni reception center on the Transylvania campus. Built in 1863 for James M. Hocker, it became the home of Robert Graham in 1869. Graham became the first president of Hamilton College, having left his previous position as the president of Kentucky University's College of Arts and Sciences.

One notable alumna of Hamilton was Maurine Dallas Watkins, the journalist and playwright who wrote the play Chicago, which served as the basis for the musical of the same name.[1]