Published: April 30, 2009 11:59 am      

JC campus celebrates anniversary

The Johnson County campus of Hill College is celebrating 25 years of existence.

In honor of the anniversary Layland Museum has created an exhibit at the Hill College Library at 2112 Mayfield Drive in Cleburne.

The exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through May 7.

The exhibit, in the entrance of the library, consists of a timeline with events and appropriate photographs of students from 1974 and from 2008-09.

A coat rack, which has been office furniture from the start, and a stone from World War II era buildings, used for German prisoners of war and later as student classrooms, are on loan from William Gilker, student services.

Dewey James Jr. loaned a framed photograph, and a 1974-75 Hill Junior College annual came from Hillsboro.

Hillsboro Junior College first enrolled students in 1923 and operated until 1950.

It reopened in 1962 with a new campus under the name Hill Junior College, with “junior” dropped in 1985.

In 1968 two or three night classes were taught during the fall and spring at the old National Guard Armory on the old Johnson County Fairgrounds on West Henderson in Cleburne.

In 1974 President Oran Bailey hired Oscar Long to start an extension center in Cleburne with day and night classes.

That first semester, 75 students came in the day and 75 at night.

That was the beginning of the Johnson County branch of Hill College.

In 1976 classes expanded into buildings formerly used for prisoners of war.

In 1987, 75,000 feet of warehouse space on Westhill became an occupational center.

From 1990-2000 classes were held in the old Cleburne High School, now the Guinn Justice Center, and in the Marti buildings on Westhill Drive.

In 1997 Dewey James Jr., Ed Carrol, Eddie Saylors, Tom Hazelwood, and President W.R. Auvenshine led a campaign to pass a five-cent maintenance tax in nine school districts: Alvarado, Cleburne, Godley, Grandview, Joshua, Keene, Rio Vista, and Venus.

School superintendents, A.D. Wheat, and Mr. and Mrs. Tolbert Mayfield helped.

The tax freed student tuition to be used for revenue bonds.

On Oct. 14, 1998, ground for a multimillion dollar campus was broken on 35 acres donated by the Mayfields and 15 acres leased from the city of Cleburne.

Enrollment was 1,000 students. Bonds were issued with an advisory board of Dr. Ben Colwell, Gary Dugger, Dr. Jim Grunert, Johnny Hauerland, Dewey James Jr., Dr. Sharron Miles, Eddie Saylors, Wanda Smith, A.D. Wheat, Harold Pinkerton, Dale Smiley and Dr. Mike Taylor, president.

In 1999 representatives from the school districts and an executive committee met to form the Johnson County branch campus Scholarship Committee to try to raise five million dollars in five years for an endowment fund.

In 2000 the Hill College Johnson County branch campus opened.

In 2001 a student center with 15,000 square feet of space for activities, a bookstore, snack bar, game room, lounge and meeting rooms, and the Margie Fay Wheat Kennon Science Building, which was donated by Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Wheat, were completed. In 2003 a technology building opened.

Hill College JCC offers a two-year education with help transitioning to four-year institutions.

In addition, it offers career training in nursing, criminal justice, EMT and fire training, gaming, and welding.

For information, call 817-645-0940.