Tyler Junior College
Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Tyler Junior College was established in 1926 during the formative years of the junior college movement in Texas. This institution began as an extension of the Tyler public school system with school superintendent G. O. Clough serving as its first president. World War II stimulated several new programs at the college, but the greatest growth came in the post-war years. In 1945, voters established a new independent junior college district governed by a locally elected ten-member board of trustees. After a successful bond election, noted Tyler architect Shirley Simons designed a campus plan, which included the reuse of several surplus buildings from nearby Camp Fannin and the first new college facility, later named Jenkins Hall. A curriculum expansion accompanied the growth in facilities to offer a broader range of coursework to the students. Seventy-five years after its establishment, Tyler Junior College encompasses a 78-acre campus with 30 buildings and eight residence halls. The district includes Tyler and surrounding communities, allowing the college's significant impact to extend beyond city boundaries into the east Texas region. The growth and success of Tyler Junior College can be attributed to visionary leadership from the presidents and the boards of trustees, a dedicated faculty and a generous citizenry. (2001)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Tyler Junior College opened in 1926, part of a wave of two-year colleges that spread across Texas in the early 20th century, and began humbly as an arm of the local public school system. World War II spurred new programs, but the real growth came afterward: in 1945 voters created an independent junior college district, and the young campus even repurposed surplus buildings from nearby Camp Fannin. By its 75th anniversary it had become a sprawling 78-acre institution anchoring higher education in east Texas.
Why it matters
It embodies the democratization of American higher education through the community-college movement, which put affordable, local schooling within reach of ordinary families across the 20th century.
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Related people
- · G. O. Clough
- · Shirley Simons
Related events
- · Junior college movement in Texas
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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