The East Texas oil boom that started near Kilgore in late 1930 generated large amounts of revenue that made it possible to establish a community college. W.L. Dodson, superintendent of the local Kilgore school district, brought B. E. Masters, then president of Amarillo Junior College, to Kilgore in the spring of 1935 to assist in creating the college. The college was established in August of that year, with Dodson named as the first president, and Masters as the first dean. College classes began that fall with 11 faculty members and 229 students temporarily using the Kilgore public school facilities.[3]
Academics
In addition to preparing students for undergraduate degrees that are completed at 4-year colleges and universities, KC's programs also include continuing education, medical training and short-term and long-term workforce training. The college offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as tech prep and certificate programs.
Athletics
KC fields teams in four sports:
Football - NJCAA national champions 1966[4]
Men's Basketball - NJCAA national champions 1956, 1958[5]
Women's Basketball - NJCAA national champions 1988, 1990, 1993[6]
In June 1986, the Texas Shakespeare Festival opened its inaugural season at Kilgore College; the festival has called KC home for what will be 38 summers in 2023. The college provides financial support and facilities for the festival, which is a vital cultural asset for all of East Texas.[7]
College service area
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of KC includes territory within the following school districts:[8]
East Texas Oil Museum (established 1979) is located on the Kilgore College campus.
Kilgore College operates a branch campus in nearby Longview.
References
^"Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges". Retrieved 10 December 2017.
^"Kilgore College Reaffirmation of Accreditation". Retrieved 4 March 2017.
^ a b"A brief history of Kilgore College". May 2, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
^"NJCAA Football Record Book 2022" (PDF). njcaa.org. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
^"NJCAA Men's Basketball Record Book 2023" (PDF). njcaa.org. May 31, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
^"NJCAA Women's Basketball Record Book 2023" (PDF). njcaa.org. May 31, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
^"Texas Shakespeare Festival History". Retrieved 3 December 2016.
^Texas Education Code, Section 130.184, "Kilgore Junior College District Service Area".
^"ESPN Classic – Not the size of the dog in the fight". go.com. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^Penrose, Kathryn (October 28, 2005). "Caldwell observing 'Rodney'" (PDF). The Flare. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
^"Derrick Lewis UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
^"Proud to Be Texan". texansforstovall.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
External links
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