Simmons College of Kentucky joins University Press of Kentucky Consortium

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 4, 2024) — Simmons College of Kentucky is the newest member of the consortium of institutions represented by the University Press of Kentucky (KY Press). The consortium includes all of Kentucky’s state universities, nine of its private colleges and two historical societies. Each constituent institution is represented on a statewide editorial board, which supervises the KY Press’ imprint.

“It is with great pleasure that the University Press of Kentucky Consortium Editorial Board welcomes its newest member, Simmons College of Kentucky,” said James W. Holsinger Jr., M.D., Ph.D., chair of the consortium editorial board. “As a representative of a historic Black institution, the Simmons board member will provide unique insight into the Press’ publishing activities. We look forward to their joining us at our next meeting this fall and their engagement in the exciting work ahead.”

Simmons College, formerly known as Kentucky Normal Theological Institute, State University at Louisville and later as Simmons Bible College, is Kentucky’s first historically Black college and university (HBCU) and the nation’s 107th HBCU. Founded in 1879, the college was the vision of 12 freed slaves who comprised the General Association of Baptists within the state. The college has developed four distinct educational programs, plus a commitment to a fifth program objective, with a focus on an academic, research-based and faith-based approach to community involvement, interaction and development.

“Simmons College of Kentucky is honored to join the prestigious University Press of Kentucky consortium,” said the Rev. Kevin W. Crosby, D. Min., Ph.D., president of Simmons College. “This partnership represents a significant step forward in amplifying the voices of historically Black institutions within the academic publishing world. By contributing to the editorial board, Simmons College will bring unique perspectives that highlight the rich legacy and intellectual contributions of HBCUs. We look forward to collaborating with the University Press of Kentucky to expand scholarly discourse and continue advancing the mission of equity in education.”

Since the formation of the consortium in 1969, KY Press has meaningfully served readers, students and scholars in Kentucky and Appalachia with publications of special regional interest. The 1992 “Kentucky Encyclopedia” received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and was one of the first state-focused encyclopedias. Later large-scale projects such as “Atlas of Kentucky” (1998), “Encyclopedia of Louisville” (2000), “The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia” (2015), and “A New History of Kentucky,” second edition (2018) continued KY Press’ tradition of high-quality documentation and synthesis of the state and region’s history.

The KY Press’ editorial program focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. Its publications in film and military studies have earned KY Press a national reputation in these fields, with reviews in such media as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and NPR. The KY Press’ books have won awards, including the NAACP Image Award, the American Book Award and the International Book Award, and been reviewed in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Review of Books.

The University Press of Kentucky is the statewide nonprofit scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Serving all Kentucky state-sponsored institutions of higher learning as well as nine private colleges and Kentucky’s two major historical societies, it was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The KY Press is dedicated to the publication of academic books of high scholarly merit as well as significant books about the history and culture of Kentucky, the Ohio Valley region, the Upper South and Appalachia.