Abstract:
Community Colleges often fail to document their own local histories. Local leaders involved in the establishment of their local community colleges stories have not been told about their institutions. This is especially the case for the Alabama Community College System. Alabama lacks documented histories of its two- year institutions. As of today, the Alabama Community College System history consists of three written local histories: Carlton Kelly’s The History and Development of John C. Calhoun State Community College, Alta Milican’s history of Snead State Junior College and Reginald William Hall’s The History of Alexander City State Junior College: Its Beginning, Foundation and Progress, which is today Central Alabama Community College. In 1988, twenty- five years after the system was established, the system grew to include 41 two- year institutions. Members of local community colleges have the potential to write the histories of their institutions, either established or merged from the Alabama Trade School and Junior College Authority. Since 1979-2005, Alabama has merged the system from 41 institutions to 25 community colleges. Alabama has witnessed over 50 years of establishing a two- year system of junior colleges, technical colleges and community colleges. Many of these institutions will celebrate their 50TH Anniversary in 2015. They will celebrate without a history, including Enterprise State Community College (ESCC). This study will fill the void.
