W. Frank Steely Library
Was at NKU to work on a story and ended up photographing the library—something I never got around to doing when I actually went there. 
Ground was broken on Northern Kentucky University’s W. Frank Steely Library in the fall of 1973 with a completion date of November 23, 1975. As the center of campus, it’s a captivating facility that blends stark concrete with foliage and natural light. I’m not a student of architecture, so I’m not really sure how to describe its design attributes beyond that. However, I have watched a lot of “next generation-era” Star Trek, and I’ve always felt that the exterior looked like those early 90s matte painting backgrounds of Starfleet Academy. 
I mean, kind of. Right?
Although I graduated from NKU with a Bachelor of Arts degree rather than as a starlet comission, I really do love the school and not just for its unique architecture. It’s a wonderful institution, a place that lacks pretense and doesn’t have to rely on manufactured nostalgia. It’s simply honest and I’ll forever be grateful for it.
NKU has its roots in being an extension campus of the University of Kentucky, a facility that opened in 1948 across the river from Cincinnati in the city of Covington. By 1968, the academic facility became an autonomous, four-year institution. In 1972, Northern Kentucky State College relocated from urban Covington to suburban Highland Heights about 15 minutes south of Downtown Cincinnati. In 1976, it was granted university status. W. Frank Steely, for whom the library is named, served as the school’s first president from 1969-1975. Steely continued to serve as a member of the university’s history faculty until his retirement in 2001. He passed away in November 2010 at the age of 85.
“Stegowagenvolkssaurus,” a 1974 sculpture by Patricia A. Renick on display in the library.
Since 2007, the content of this website (and its former life as Queen City Discovery) has been a huge labor of love.
If you’ve enjoyed stories like The Ghost Ship, abandoned amusement parks, the Cincinnati Subway, Fading Ads, or others over the years—might you consider showing some support for future projects?
