Blinn College is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

Brenham, Texas Brenham ( ) is a city in east-central Texas, United States, and the county seat of Washington County, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Brenham is also known for its annual German heritage festival that takes pl ...

, with additional campuses in

Bryan Bryan may refer to: Places in the United States * Bryan, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Bryan, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Bryan, Ohio, a city * Bryan, Texas, a city * Bryan, Wyoming, a ghost town * Bryan County, Georgia * ...

, Schulenburg, Sealy, and Waller. Brenham is Blinn's original and main campus, with housing and athletics.

History

Blinn was founded in 1884 as Mission Institute by local minister Carl Urbantke with an original class of three ministerial students. It was affiliated with the Southern German Conference of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

, and became

coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

al in 1888. In 1889, the institute's name was changed to Blinn Memorial College in honor of the Reverend Christian Blinn, who had donated a considerable sum of money to make the school possible. Blinn was a wealthy minister and immigrant from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, who funded several German Methodist efforts, including the building of the Blinn Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. In 1927, the board of trustees, under leadership of President Philip Deschner, organized a

. In 1930, Blinn merged with

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwester ...

of Georgetown. In 1934, a new charter was procured by the citizens of Brenham, and a private, nonsectarian junior college was organized as Blinn College, with nine regents as the board of control. In February 1937, all connections with Southwestern University and the Methodist denominations were severed. On June 8, 1937, voters in Washington County levied a

property tax A property tax (whose rate is expressed as a percentage or per mille, also called ''millage'') is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or Wealth t ...

for the creation of a public junior college district. Blinn thus became the first county-owned junior college district in Texas. The college continues to operate as one of the largest of some 50 public

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

districts in Texas. After some early struggles (including the campus nearly closing in 1946 due to fiscal issues), the college began to grow and do well under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Morris Spencer, one of the early public junior college pioneers in Texas. When he left the college in 1957, it was on a firm fiscal footing.

Campuses

Blinn has six campuses in Brenham,

(Villa Maria Road), RELLIS ( SH 47 in Bryan, shared with

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

), Schulenberg, Sealy, and Waller. The Bryan campus was established in 1970, and by the early 1980s, a third campus opened in College Station. In 1997, the Villa Maria Road campus opened in Bryan, consolidating the programs that were located in the Townshire Shopping Center in Bryan and the Woodstone Center in College Station. The third Brazos County site, located in the former Bryan post office, continues to house the dental hygiene, radiologic technology, and workforce education programs. The original three buildings on the Bryan campuses were expanded to six, and in 2002, the former Schulman Theater was purchased and converted to classroom space, known as the College Park Campus (CPC). The Schulenburg campus opened in 1997 and the Sealy campus opened in 2005. In 2015, Blinn announced that it would cancel expansion plans at the Villa Maria campus and open new facilities at the Texas A&M RELLIS Campus, instead. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Blinn College educational building took place on March 31, 2017., In 2022, Blinn opened a new $32 million administration building at RELLIS, incorporating 19 new classrooms in addition to offices for student enrollment. In 2023, Blinn opened the Waller campus in the former Waller High School.

Service area

The

Texas Legislature The Texas State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a p ...

defined the service area of the college as: * All of the following counties:

Brazos The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

, Burleson,

Grimes Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. The visuals in her videos are elabora ...

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States * Madison (footballer), Brazilian footballer Places in the United States Populated places * Madi ...

, Waller, and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Austin County Austin County is a rural, agricultural dominated county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,167. Its seat is Bellville. The county and region was settled primarily by German emigrants in the 1800s. Austi ...

, except for areas in Brazos ISD (legislation uses "Wallis-Orchard", the district's former name) * Fayette County, except for areas in Smithville ISD * Lee County, except for areas in

Elgin ISD Elgin Independent School District is a public school district based in Elgin, Texas (USA). The district is located in northern Bastrop County and extends into small portions of Travis and Lee counties. It includes parts of Manor. In 2009, ...

* Portions of

Bastrop County Bastrop County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in Central Texas and its county seat is Bastrop. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,216. Bastrop County is included in the Austin–Round Rock, Texas, metropolitan ...

within Lexington ISD * Portions of Harris County within Waller ISD * Portions of Milam County within Gause ISD, Lexington ISD, and Milano ISD * Portions of

Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to: Australia * The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania United Kingdom * The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery United States * Montgomery County, Alabama * Montg ...

within Richards ISD * Portions of Robertson County within Bryan ISD, Franklin ISD, Hearne ISD, and Mumford ISD * Portions of Walker County within Richards ISD * Portions of Williamson County within Lexington ISD Of those areas, the only portion within the college's taxation area, which means the only portion eligible for in-district tuition, is Washington County.

Academics

Blinn offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs. The college is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

to award

associate's degrees An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

Transfer

Blinn has the highest transfer rate in Texas, sending students to institutions such as Texas A&M University,

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston, SHSU or Sam) is a public research university in Huntsville, Texas, United States. Founded in 1879, it is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools wes ...

Texas State University Texas State University (TXST) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in San Marcos, Texas, United States, and another campus in Round Rock, Texas, Round Rock. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has ...

, the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...

, and the

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

. Its transfer rate to four-year universities is 49% compared to the state average of 27%. Blinn transfers more students to Texas A&M University than any other two-year college. Blinn technical students score among the best in the state on board and licensure exams. In 2001, Blinn and Texas A&M University established the first co-enrollment program of its kind with the Transfer Enrollment at Texas A&M (TEAM) Program. TEAM students enroll in one or two A&M courses at a time, while taking the rest of their courses at Blinn. After 60 credit hours and meeting academic standards, students are guaranteed transfer to A&M, with the opportunity to transfer before 60 credits/2 years. In 2013, the program was awarded the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Recognition of Excellence, and in 2014 it received the THECB Star Award.

Student profile

For fall 2021, the college district enrolled 8,779 full-time and 17,909 total students. The student body was 49% male and 51% female. The largest program was

Liberal Arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

, followed by

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

then

Nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

, all associates degrees.

Community impact

Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) conducted a 2014 study which concluded that Blinn made a $345.3 million impact in its service area, including $239.5 million in added income by former students employed in the regional workforce, $61.3 million in College operations spending and $44.5 million in student spending. The report found that Blinn has made an impact of $247.4 million in Bryan-College Station, $83 million in Brenham, $11.1 million in Schulenburg and $3.9 million in Sealy. Blinn has also been recognized for its community service. In 2011, Blinn received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification, and in 2012 it was the only community college in the state of Texas to be named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Each year, Blinn devotes a day to community service, called the Blinn Blitz, and hundreds of students participate in local community service projects.

Athletics

Marie Heineke Memorial Gym West Elevation 2018

The home campus in Brenham has offered intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and has won 50 national championships since 1987. The Blinn Buccaneers compete in football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country, cheerleading, and dance. The Division I football program is tied for the fourth most NJCAA national championships, with wins in 1995, 1996, 2006, and 2009. The last of which was won with

Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...

. The volleyball team won the NJCAA championship in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2014. The baseball team captured its first national championship in 2024. The softball team consistently makes the national tournament. Blinn's award-winning cheer and dance teams have won 18 combined NJCAA, NCA, and NDA National Championships since 2014.

Notable alumni

Blinn College cornerstone plaques IMG 9233

Inventor

* Abraham Louis Levin (Class of 1903), physician and inventor of the Levin Tube

Politicians

Dan Kubiak Daniel James Kubiak (March 19, 1938 – August 30, 1998) was an educator and businessman from Rockdale, Texas, who served as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983 and again from 1991 until his death in 199 ...

(Class of 1959),

State representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

from Rockdale, 1969-1983 and 1991-1998 * Leon Toubin, member of Blinn College's board of trustees

Pop Culture

Big Pokey Milton Jerome Powell Jr. (November 29, 1974 – June 18, 2023), better known by his stage name Big Pokey, was an American rapper from Houston, Texas. Big Pokey was associated with chopped and screwed music, and was one of the original members o ...

, rapper *

Ty Hardin Ty Hardin (born Orison Whipple Hungerford Jr.; January 1, 1930August 3, 2017) was an American actor best known as the star of the 1958 to 1962 American Broadcasting Company, ABC/Warner Brothers Television, Warner Bros. Western (genre), Western ...

, actor *

Henry Thomas Henry Jackson Thomas (born September 9, 1971) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and had the lead role of Elliott Taylor in the film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), for which he won a Young Artist Award and rece ...

, actor

Athletes

Baseball

Don Baylor Don Edward Baylor (June 28, 1949 – August 7, 2017), nicknamed "Groove," was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. During his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), Baylor was a power hitter known for standing very clo ...

Josh Beckett Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Afte ...

Bryce Miller Bryce Miller may refer to: * Bryce Miller (baseball) (born 1998), American baseball player * Bryce Miller (racing driver) Bryce Miller (born July 26, 1982) is an American racing driver from Summit, New Jersey. He currently drives in the IMSA o ...

Basketball

* Chris "Birdman" Andersen *

Oliver Lafayette Oliver Lafayette (born May 6, 1984) is an American-born former Croatian professional basketball player. Standing at , he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. A two-time EuroCup Basketball, EuroCup winner, Lafayette has also won ...

Tony Skinn Tony Oludewa Jeffrey Skinn (born February 8, 1983) is a NigerianAmerican basketball coach and former player. He played guard for the George Mason Patriots from 2003 to 2006, later playing professionally for six years. Skinn is currently the head ...

Football

Track and Field

* James Beckford, winner of the

silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a gr ...

at the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

Tim Montgomery Timothy Montgomery (born January 28, 1975) is an American former track sprinter who specialized in the 100-meter dash. In 2005, he was stripped of his records—including a now-void men's 100-meter world record of 9.78 seconds set in 2002—a ...

, Olympic sprinter *

Godfrey Siamusiye Godfrey Malumo Siamusiye (born September 23, 1972) is a cross country and track and field runner from Choma, Zambia. He has competed in the Olympics in 1992 and 1996. He was also NCAA Division I Cross Country National Champion in 1995 and 1 ...

, distance runner

Notes

References

External links