The official history of Phillips County Community
College dates from two events in 1965: (1) Act 560 of the Arkansas State
Legislature, which paved the way for establishing community colleges;
and (2) an affirmative vote by the people of Phillips County on October
23, 1965, which provided the local financial support forth college.
The Board of Trustees was appointed by the Governor of
the State and met for the first time on November 1, 1965, officially
creating Phillips County Community College. An early order of business
for the Board was the election of Dr. John Easley as the first President
of the College. The Board of Trustees decided that since construction of
a new plant would take approximately two years, classes would begin in
the Naval Reserve Building in Helena. The building served as home for
Phillips County Community College for two years. In May, 1968, the first
class was graduated. Construction of the permanent College facilities
was also completed in 1968.
In 1972, the Fine Arts Center and Lily Peter Auditorium
were completed with the help of generous support from the community. In
1976, the Nursing Education Complex was completed. In 1982, the
Technical & Industrial Education Complex was opened. In 1986, the
administration/data processing building was completed, and a year later,
the college library was renovated and named the Lewis Library, thanks to
the generosity of the A. B. Lewis family.
In 1988, Dr. Easley retired, and the administration
building was renamed in his honor. Dr. Steven W. Jones was elected by
the Board of Trustees to be the college’s second president on March 8,
1988.
Since that time, the College has experienced dramatic
growth with an expansion of the curriculum and facilities. Enrollment
increased steadily in the early 1990’s, and the Asa W. Bonner Student
Center was dedicated in 1991. The Mitchell Science Annex was added to
the Nursing Education Complex in 1992. In 1993, the College was given
the historic Pillow-Thompson House in Helena by Josephine Thompson and
her son, George de Man. The house was renovated with the generous
support of community donations and historic preservation grants and
reopened in May of 1997.
In March 1996, the people of Arkansas County passed a
referendum to annex that county into the PCCC taxing district. The Board
of Trustees changed the name of the college to Phillips Community
College to reflect the multi-county support and began plans to expand
the off-campus programs in Stuttgart. In June 1996, the State
transferred the former Rice Belt Technical Institute in DeWitt to
Phillips Community College and on July 1, 1996, Phillips became a member
of the University of Arkansas System.
Facilities in Arkansas County have grown to include day
and evening classes in Stuttgart and general education programs in
DeWitt. The Stuttgart facility is equipped with nine traditional
classrooms, two science labs, six computer labs, a large technical
training lab, two compressed video labs for distance learning, a
library, large lecture room, bookstore, and offices. The DeWitt facility
expansion and reconstruction included an addition of 14,000 square feet
AND renovations to 15,000 square feet. The addition includes five
classrooms, two distance learning classrooms, library, and student
center. In 2003, the Grand Prairie War Memorial Auditorium Board voted
to offer a long-term lease of the auditorium to the college as a
technology training center. In 2007, the National Guard Armory in DeWitt
was leased to the College as a headquarters for the agriculture program.
Phillips Community College has always been a leader and
innovator in higher education in Arkansas. The College has grown from an
original enrollment of fewer than 250 students in 14 program areas to
over 2,300 students in academic, occupational/technical, and continuing
education programs. New programs are continually being researched and
planned so that PCCUA will remain responsive to the needs and interests
of the people of Eastern Arkansas and on the Grand Prairie. In the Fall
of 2003, Dr. Steven Murray was named Chancellor of Phillips Community
College. Dr. Murray is the college’s third Chancellor.
