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The city of Garden City was founded on this date.
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The Kansas Legislature passes a bill allowing for the establishment of public junior colleges.
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Residents of the Garden City school district went to the polls and voted by a of 2-1 ratio to found the two-year college under the 1917 law.
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The opening session of classes at Garden City junior college as a part of the Garden City school system. Superintendent of schools was Charles I. Vinsonhaler, who doubled as chief administrative officer of the college.The first college dean was Ernest F. Monroe. He doubled as princpal of GCHS.
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There were also junior colleges established at Fort Scott, Holton and Marysville. Today only Fort Scott and GCCC remain.
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Enrollment consisted of 22 freshmen and one sophomore.
The sophomore, Miss Mildred Hope, became the college's first graduate in the spring of 1920. -
Three years after the college was founded it gained its first semi-separate quarters. That was when it was allotted the entire top floor of the high school and was able to boast a library of nearly 1,500 volumes.
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In the fall of 1954, the high school and junior college were moved into the new 1.5 million educational plant at 1412 D'Allemand St.
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Third move of the college came in 1958 when it was moved into the old Jones Elementary School at 606 Elm.
It was known as the Little Pink University. It served as GCCC's home until 1963. The reason for the name was the color of the stuco exterior of the structure. -
In 1963, the college made its fourth move in 44 years, right back to where it started: 100 Jones Ave.
While on Jones, the college campus consisted mainly of 2 large brick structures, Sabine Hall and Calkins Hall. -
Between July 1965 and Jan 18, 1966, the college's first board of trustees hired an architect, chose a site and submitted a $2.5 million bond proposal.
It passed 3 to 1.
Location of the new campus was to be a 63-acre tract along the west side of US50 bypass north of Spruce and South of Kansas. The bypass has since been named Campus Drive. -
The groundbreaking was held in September 1967. The first buildings to be completed and occupied on the new campus were the dormitory and student union.
A bus was purchased and used by the college to transport the students to and from the old campus a mile away in downtown Garden City.
The federal government added matching funds of $538,000. The total project cost was $3,038,000. -
Enrollment grows from a meager 23 students in 1919 to 769 students in 1969. The college's 50th anniversary marked the first time the college had its own buildings.
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A $1.4 million,15,000 square foot technical learning labratory was completed so GCCC could provide more training for workers in area and national industries. In 2007 the Annex was renamed the Gary E. Jarmer Technical Annex.
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Three new apartment style residence complexes were built and extensive renovations were made to the existing student housing.
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An addition to the existing Student Center was completed. It was renamed the Beth G. Tedrow Student Center.
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The Physical Education Building was renamed the Dennis B. Perryman Athletic Complex.
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The new Student and Community Services Center, a $3.21 million project, opens. It provides a single location for student services, community services, and the adult education programs.
