COCC 75th Anniversary then and now collage. The then photo (black and white) features early automotive students and their teacher working on an engine. The now photo features nursing students working hands-on with a faulty member in a state-of-the-art facility.

 

Education • Inspiration • Connection

Celebrating 75 Years of Opportunity

 

Founded in 1949, Central Oregon Community College — Oregon’s first community college — marks a major milestone of bringing higher learning, engagement and enrichment to the region


A Brief History

They gathered at Bend High School for night sessions, in subjects like business and accounting, attending a college that didn’t yet have a permanent home — or a name. The date was Sept. 20, 1949, and Bend was holding its first-ever higher education classes, with 109 students enrolled. Oregon’s first community college was underway.

As Central Oregon began to grow, so did its college — becoming “Central Oregon College” in 1954, then adding a Nursing program that same year. In the coming years, the 10,000-square-mile College district was created (1962), the Bend campus opened on Awbrey Butte (1964) thanks to a generous land gift, and the name officially became Central Oregon Community College in 1967. The Redmond campus opened its doors in 1997, and the Madras and Prineville campuses followed in 2011, providing access to college-level education in communities across the district’s three counties — the largest district of its kind in the state.

historic students registring at COCC in the early days

Smiling Female Native American Dancer in Regalia Holding Baby in Fabric Sling

Tens of thousands of students have graduated from COCC since 1949; many more have taken credit or noncredit classes to gain a new skill or try a new experience. Today, COCC offers more than 70 unique academic programs and a wide scope of noncredit workshops and courses.

Longstanding COCC traditions like the Central Oregon Symphony, Chandler Lecture Series, Season of Nonviolence and Salmon Bake continue to engage the community, while every year new opportunities and events — topical and inspiring — add to Central Oregon’s cultural enrichment.

Campus to campus, there’s a lot happening on any given day. Over at the Redmond campus, for instance, Automotive Technology students are getting trained on vehicle scanners and electronic programming. In Prineville, a Business Administration class puts math basics up on the whiteboard. Aspiring storytellers at the Madras campus are sure to be discussing topics of plot and structure in a creative writing class. And in Bend, future chefs are learning the dicing essentials of the Culinary Arts. These and many other opportunities await at COCC.

From Gilchrist to Bend to Warm Springs, COCC strives to meet the goals of those it serves. The College is committed to being responsive to Central Oregon’s needs by providing affordable, accessible education for all, and by offering new technologies, trainings and opportunities that contribute to the region’s well-being. It’s a mission shared and supported by area schools, employers, agencies, contributors and taxpayers, and wouldn’t be possible without those enduring partnerships.

Thank you, Central Oregon, for 75 incredible years. COCC is honored to be a part of so many life journeys — dating back to 1949 — and is truly excited for what lies ahead. 

Student wearing graduation hat saying- Whered all the time go?!

In the News


 

From the History Pages

Check out these features from past issues of COCC Magazine and Legacies (PDF downloads):

Historic Bend Bulletin clipping with headline College will have its own home soon