Cowley 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 ...

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 ...

Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas and Walnut rivers in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. Pronunc ...

. It also operates locations in nearby

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, Winfield, Mulvane, and Wichita. In addition to an online presence the college offers on-site courses at nine area high schools. Cowley College is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

History

Cowley College held its first classes on Sept. 11, 1922. At this point, it was known as the Arkansas City Junior College (ACJC), and, like most

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 ...

s of the time, operated under the directorship of the local

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

. Classes were held on the top floor of the Arkansas City High School, but were soon relocated to the basement, earning it the nickname "Basement University." In 1936, a combination auditorium-gymnasium was constructed, and in 1952, ACJC held its first classes in a dedicated college building. During the mid-1960s, ACJC began a process of name changes in an attempt to keep current with state legislation designed to spur growth of

s and

vocational school A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...

s in Kansas. After no less than two revisions, in 1965, it was given the name Cowley County Community College and Vocational-Technical School, which was commonly abbreviated CCCC. In 1967, the citizens of Cowley County elected a six-member board of trustees for CCCC, and on July 1, it assumed control of college operations. The new board appointed Paul Johnson as the first president of the college. Johnson had been the dean of the college under the school board's direction. The county continues to elect members to the board of trustees in four-year terms. Johnson died the following year and was succeeded on an interim basis by William S. Scott until the end of June. On July 1, 1968, Gwendel A. "Gwen" Nelson was appointed president of the college by the board of trustees. Immediately, Nelson began a far-reaching program of expansion and upgrades. When he arrived at the college, it owned no property (the land on which the buildings stood was rented from the school district), and its program offerings were limited. During his tenure, which lasted until 1987, Nelson would be instrumental in land negotiations with the school board, resulting in the college's ownership of all of its main campus and the adjacent old high school. His leadership resulted in great expansion of academic programs, including upgrading the vocational school, and he would oversee the construction of six new buildings, including the college's first dormitories. In 2017, Sumner County passed a half-cent sales tax increase to fund a second campus of Cowley College to be built in Wellington. Sumner County Campus of Cowley College was planned to open for classes in the fall of 2018. The Short Family of Oxford, Kansas, donated the property for the campus to be built on the south side of Highway 160. On February 2, 2023, the Cowley College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to terminate President Randy Smith's contract. Michelle Schoon was appointed to serve as Interim President.

Campus

The college's main campus is in

. It also operates locations in nearby Winfield, Mulvane,

, and Wichita. In addition to its online presence the college offers on-site courses at nine area high schools. Cowley College's Ireland Hall, was designed by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Charles Sumner Sedgwick Charles Sumner SedgwickIn some sources, his name has been incorrectly presented as Charles Sedgewick (1856 – March 12, 1922) was an American architect. Personal life Sedgwick was born in 1856, in New York (state), New York. His wife, Mary D., ...

and constructed in 1890 as the Arkansas City High School. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

as Old Arkansas City High School and considered one of the oldest, standing buildings in the city.

Alumni

Travis Hafner Travis Lee Hafner (; born June 3, 1977) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter and first baseman. A left-handed hitter, Hafner played for the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indian ...

, professional baseball player * Tyrus McGee professional basketball player *

Trevor Rosenthal Trevor Jordan Rosenthal (born May 29, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City R ...

, professional baseball player * Louis Weller, professional football player

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Cowley County, Kansas Education in Cowley County, Kansas Universities and colleges established in 1922 Community colleges in Kansas Two-year colleges in the United States NJCAA schools 1922 establishments in Kansas OK Cooperative Alliance

History

Campus

Alumni

See also

References

External links