> Classes & Degrees > 2019 - 2020 Catalog > About DCCCD > History
Citizens of Dallas County always have supported DCCCD with funding and human resources. The colleges have become an important asset to students and members of the community, and their investment in the district has paid dividends in economic development, workforce training and undergraduate education.
Fifty years ago, a visionary Board of Trustees – whose members included Dallas luminaries such as R.L. Thornton II, Mrs. Margaret McDermott and DCCCD's founding chancellor, Dr. Bill J. Priest – set an ambitious goal. They wanted to create the best community college district in the United States.
They, and numerous other Dallas County civic leaders who supported their efforts, were dedicated to providing citizens with access to quality education that was both convenient and affordable. Thanks to the determination and hard work of trustees and area leaders, Dallas citizens created the Dallas County Community College District in 1965, and El Centro College subsequently opened in 1966.
The seven colleges and five community campuses of DCCCD enroll a total more than 80,000 credit and 20,000 continuing education students each semester. The DCCCD system's enrollment ranks among the largest community colleges in Texas; tuition rates remain among the most affordable, compared to the statewide average. More than five decades of growth and progress are a credit to the vision and support of Dallas-area citizens.
Events in DCCCD's History
Dallas County voters created the Dallas County Junior College District and approved a $41.5 million bond issue to finance it.
El Centro College began serving students in downtown Dallas.
Eastfield College in Mesquite and Mountain View College in southwest Dallas enrolled their first students.
Richland College opened in north Dallas.
An additional $85 million in bonds supported DCCCD's expansion, and construction began on three more colleges. Cedar Valley College in Lancaster and North Lake College in Irving opened.
Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch enrolled its first students.
The Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic for Development opened south of downtown Dallas, serving individuals and businesses of all sizes with training programs customized to meet their needs.
The R. Jan LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications opened. The LeCroy Center is one of the largest producers of distance learning courses in the nation.
The colleges of DCCCD welcomed their first class of 693 students into the Rising Star program.
DCCCD appointed the district's first Hispanic chancellor, Dr. Jesus Carreon.
Voters overwhelmingly approved a $450 million bond package that provided new facilities for all seven colleges and created five new community education campuses designed to provide higher education opportunities for under-served or fast-growing areas in Dallas County.
Richland College became the first community college in the United States to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
DCCCD welcomed its first African-American chancellor, Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., who previously had served as president of El Centro College for 20 years.
Late in the year, DCCCD's administrative offices moved from 701 Elm St. to renovated historic facilities at 1601 S. Lamar St. in south Dallas.
The completion of 28 new buildings, including five community education campuses, signaled the close of the bond program approved by voters in 2004.
The Dallas TeleCollege became Dallas Colleges Online.
Dr. Joe D. May was chosen by DCCCD's Board of Trustees as the district's seventh chancellor, bringing his enthusiasm for jobs, workforce training, and degree and certificate completion to DCCCD. The district also became part of the national Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, delivering education modules to business entrepreneurs through the Bill J. Priest Institute, which marked 25 years of service to the business community in 2014 as well.
The Dallas County Community College District celebrated its 50th anniversary.
El Centro College observed its 50th anniversary.
DCCCD and the DCCCD Foundation launched Dallas County Promise, a last-dollar scholarship program that provides tuition for Dallas County high school students who must complete a series of steps to maintain their eligibility. Dallas County Promise, funded by the DCCCD Foundation, was launched in partnership with Commit!, the University of North Texas at Dallas, the Dallas Independent School District (31 early college high schools and collegiate academies, which formed the first cohort) and Southern Methodist University.
DCCCD implemented its first concealed carry handgun policy across the district on August 1, 2017, in response to SB11, which was passed during the 84th Legislative Session in 2015.
The first cohort of Dallas County Promise students began classes at DCCCD's seven colleges; 12 more high schools joined the Promise network. JPMorgan Chase became the first corporate partner of the Dallas County Promise and announced a $3 million New Skills for Youth investment through the Commit Partnership.
About DCCCD
Board of Trustees Mission and Strategic Priorities
The DCCCD and Innovation