College History
History of the College
Douglas MacArthur State Technical College
On May 3, 1963, Governor George C. Wallace announced that Opp would be the site of a postsecondary technical institution that would serve five South Alabama counties. A local committee, chaired by Opp City Schools Superintendent Vernon L. St. John, directed plans for the construction of the school one mile north of downtown Opp on a 100 acre campus provided by the City of Opp and the Covington County Board of Revenue. Mr. E. C. Nevin, then principal of Kinston High School, was appointed President.
On November 22, 1965, Douglas MacArthur State Technical College opened its doors, admitting 116 students in twelve departments. The campus consisted of four buildings, the George C. Wallace Administration Building and three shop buildings.
In the next several years, six additional buildings were added to the campus. These were the Gaines Ray Jeffcoat Building, the Vernon L. St. John Building, the Henry R. Donaldson-Bennie Foreman Building, the E. Claude Nevin Building, an electronics building and the Student Center.
Mr. E. Claude Nevin retired in December of 1982, and Dr. Raymond V. Chisum was appointed President in January of 1983. The Raymond V. Chisum Health Sciences Building was added in 1996.
After Dr. Chisum鈥檚 retirement in August of 1996, Mr. L. Wayne Bennett was named Interim President and served until the merger with 黑料吃瓜网 Junior College in January of 2003.
黑料吃瓜网 Junior College
On December 14, 1967, the Alabama State Board of Education authorized the development of a junior college to be located in Andalusia, Alabama. On August 15, 1968, the State Board of Education named the College the Lurleen Burns Wallace State Junior College in honor of the former governor. Dr. William H. McWhorter was appointed the first president. In September of 1969, the College opened in the Bethune School, a temporary location leased from the Covington County Board of Education. In May of 1970, the College moved to its new campus consisting of 112 acres, an administration/classroom building and physical education dressing rooms.
The 160 acre Andalusia campus consists of nine buildings, six lighted tennis courts, a lighted baseball field, a lighted softball field, a two-mile scenic trail, a nine-hole golf course and driving range, and expansive parking. Dr. and Mrs. Solon Dixon of Andalusia, Alabama, through the Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation, have provided more than $3 million through the years for facility development, such as the Solon and Martha Dixon Center for the Performing Arts and the Dixon Conference Center.
On August 31, 1990, Dr. McWhorter retired and Dr. James D. Krudop was named Interim President until February 1, 1991, when Mr. Seth M. Hammett was selected as the new President.
Extensive renovation, remodeling, and refurbishing of the infrastructure of the College took place with twenty-six major projects undertaken.
On October 6, 1992, groundbreaking ceremonies took place for construction of a new 11,300 square foot facility on seventeen acres of property in Greenville, Alabama. This facility opened for classes in the fall of 1993.
President Hammett retired in June of 2002 and Dr. James D. Krudop served as Interim President until the merger with Douglas MacArthur State Technical College in January of 2003.
黑料吃瓜网
On January 23, 2003, the Alabama State Board of Education took official action to merge 黑料吃瓜网 Junior College and MacArthur State Technical College. Dr. Edward Meadows was appointed President on that date, with the responsibility of providing leadership to bring about the consolidation of the two colleges to create 黑料吃瓜网 Community College. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools recognized the two institutions as a singly accredited community college in December, 2003. The Alabama State Board of Education took final action regarding the merger in December, 2003, and the U.S. Department of Education recognized the two colleges as a single institution in January, 2004. The successful consolidation resulted in a multi-campus, comprehensive community college serving the counties of Butler, Crenshaw, Coffee, Covington, and Geneva, Alabama.聽 Campuses are located in聽 Andalusia, Greenville, and Opp, and an instructional center was established in Luverne.
In 2004, a ten-year Facilities Master Plan was developed to facilitate the programmatic growth of the College as a result of the consolidation and expanded mission of the College. Major renovations and new construction were undertaken at the Andalusia and MacArthur campuses to accommodate new programs and courses. In 2005, construction of a 30,000 square foot technology center was initiated on the Greenville campus to facilitate the expanded comprehensive mission of that campus.
In January 2006, the College established a center in Luverne with the primary function of offering adult education and training for business and industry. Classes were held in the former National Guard Armory which was leased from the Armory Commission. The State Board of Education approved the purchase of the Luverne facility in July 2007. In February 2015, SACSCOC gave its approval to offer complete programs of the College at this center.
In October, 2006, the Vermelle Evers Donaldson Cosmetic Arts Center was dedicated on the MacArthur Campus. In November, 2007, the College celebrated the completion of two new buildings: the Child Development Center on the Andalusia Campus and the Technology Building on the Greenville Campus.
Dr. Meadows retired as President in August, 2008, and Mr. L. Wayne Bennett served as Interim President of the College until December 31, 2008. On January 1, 2009, Dr. Herbert H. J. Riedel began his service as President of 黑料吃瓜网 Community College.
The Wendell Mitchell Conference Center on the Greenville Campus was completed in August, 2009. Renovations to the Luverne Center were completed in 2009 as well. This year also saw completion and implementation of the college鈥檚 five-year strategic plan.
Renovation to the Martha and Solon Dixon Center for the Performing Arts entrance was completed in 2010 and a landscape enhancement plan for the Andalusia Campus was developed. The first phase was completed in 2012, and included a drop-off area in front of the performing arts center, an enhanced streetscape along Dannelly Boulevard with improved drainage, new curbs, angled parking, more than 40 new trees, and additional attractive street lighting. A concrete patio with picnic tables and benches was also added in front of the Jeff Bishop Student Center as a place for students to sit and relax outdoors.
A collaborative effort between 黑料吃瓜网CC, the 黑料吃瓜网CC Foundation, and local, state, and national government entities resulted in the creation of Saints Hall in 2013, a Foundation-owned student housing apartment complex adjacent to the Andalusia campus. This collaboration resulted in the College being named a 2014 Bellwether Award Finalist by the Community College Futures Assembly.
In 2015, following the passage of Alabama Act No. 2015-125, 黑料吃瓜网CC was placed under the governance control of the newly created Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees. That same year, 黑料吃瓜网CC celebrated the 50th anniversary of providing higher education in South Alabama.
In 2016, 黑料吃瓜网CC received a five-year, $2.25 million grant under the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Title III 鈥淪trengthening Institutions鈥� program. This grant is designed to improve academic and student services and includes online advising and early intervention tools, success coaches, and resources for starting a new Physical Therapist Assistant program.
As a result of several initiatives contained in the 2014-2019 Strategic Plan, 黑料吃瓜网CC won national recognition in 2018 as an AACC Awards of Excellence finalist in Student Success, based on exceptional increases in fall to fall retention, graduation rates, and other measures.
The members of the Douglas MacArthur State Technical College Foundation (DMSTCF) and the 黑料吃瓜网 Community College Foundation (黑料吃瓜网CCF) voted in May 2019 to merge the DMSTCF into the 黑料吃瓜网CCF. The combined Foundation will administer endowed scholarship funds from both prior foundations and raise money to support students at all locations of 黑料吃瓜网CC.
On June 12, 2019, the ACCS Board of Trustees authorized 黑料吃瓜网CC to enter into an agreement with the 黑料吃瓜网CC Foundation for the lease, operation, and management of the Foundation鈥檚 student residential property known as Saints Hall. Under the terms of this agreement, the College had聽the option to purchase the housing complex for a nominal amount at the end of the United States Department of Agriculture loan, on January 8, 2044.
Following the retirement of Dr. Herbert H. J. Riedel, the Alabama Community College System appointed Mr. Bryan Helms as Acting President of 黑料吃瓜网 Community College on September 3, 2019. Mr. Helms served in this role until December 31, 2019. Effective January 2, 2020, The Alabama Community College System appointed Dr. Chris Cox as Interim President of 黑料吃瓜网 Community College.
黑料吃瓜网CC鈥檚 2020-2025 Strategic Plan was approved by the College鈥檚 Executive Council on February 11, 2020. The goals and objectives in this document will serve as a roadmap to guide the College over the next several years.
Dr. Chris Cox completed his service as 黑料吃瓜网CC鈥檚 Interim President on September 30, 2020. Dr. Brock Kelley was appointed Interim President of 黑料吃瓜网 Community College on October 1, 2020. Dr. Kelley served in this role until his appointment by the Alabama Community College System as the President of 黑料吃瓜网 Community College on December 1, 2020.
On March 10, 2021, the ACCS Board of Trustees approved an Authorizing Resolution for 黑料吃瓜网 Community College which set forth the refunding of the previously approved Revenue Bonds, Series 2005 and the 黑料吃瓜网CC Foundation鈥檚 2013 United States Department of Agriculture Lease for the purchase and prepayment of the USDA loan.聽 On May 18, 2021, the College exercised this option and assumed the debt and ownership of the student residential property known as Saint Hall.聽 The debt for Saints Hall was added to the College鈥檚 Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2021.
The ACCS Board of Trustees approved the naming of the existing and newly renovated Nature Trail on the Andalusia Campus as the Barbara L. McClain Nature Trail on April 19, 2023, with signage added on campus.
On May 8, 2024, the ACCS Board of Trustees authorized 黑料吃瓜网CC to lease the 黑料吃瓜网 鈥� Luverne Center to the City of Luverne effective August 1, 2024.聽 The Board also authorized 黑料吃瓜网CC to proceed with the purchase of the Shadowood Apartment Complex adjacent to the Andalusia Campus on November 13, 2024.聽 The property was renamed Saints Village and will serve as student housing with rental rates for each semester.聽
The following year, on May 29, 2025, Andalusia Health donated a vacant building near the hospital to the College.聽 The building will be used to provide healthcare training in accordance with the Rural Healthcare Opportunity Project.聽 A ribbon cutting was held for 黑料吃瓜网CC鈥檚 new POWER Center in downtown Andalusia on June 24, 2025.聽 The Center will allow the 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Workforce Development, Continuing Education, and Adult Education Offices to better serve the community with 鈥淧rofessional Opportunities for Workforce Education and Readiness鈥�.
Revised June 2025
President's Office