Odessa College
President Gregory D. Williams[2] | | |
Students | 5,803[3] | |
---|---|---|
Location | , , United States | |
Campus | 80 acres (0.32 km2)[1] | |
Colors | Blue and White[4] | |
Nickname | Wranglers[4] | |
Affiliations | Western Junior College Athletic Conference[4] | |
Mascot | "Willie" the Wrangler[4] | |
Website | odessa.edu |
Odessa College is a
History
Odessa College was founded in 1946 as Odessa Junior College.[5] The college dropped "Junior" from its name around 1976.[6]
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Odessa College is the following:[7]
- all of Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Loving, Presidio, Reeves, Upton, Ward, and Winkler counties, and the Seminole Independent School District, located in Gaines County.
The Pecos Technical Training Center is an extension of Odessa College, located at 1000 S. Eddy St, Pecos, Texas. It first opened its doors in the summer of 1999.
Odessa Junior College was featured in the Supreme Court case Perry v. Sindermann, 408 U.S. 593 (1972).
In 1999, an Odessa doctor and his wife donated a 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m2) building in Pecos to house the new Pecos Technical Training Center of Odessa College. After renovations to the building made possible by an $860,000 Economic Development Administration grant, the center now houses administrative and faculty offices, technical and vocational learning labs and a student lounge. The new center enables Odessa College to improve and expand its long-established extension education program in Pecos.
In 2011, Odessa College, along with Frank Phillips College in Borger, Ranger College in Ranger, and Brazosport College in Lake Jackson were proposed for closure by the State of Texas. The Texas Association of Community Colleges rallied successfully to keep the four institutions open.[8]
Athletics
Odessa College participates in the
Notable alumni
- Abraham Ancer, professional golfer
- Dancing with The Stars2017
- Craig Ehlo, professional basketball player
- Josh Gray, professional basketball player
- Larry Johnson, professional basketball player
- Rich Loiselle, professional baseball player
- Joe Melson, singer and songwriter
- Ty Murray, seven-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World All-Around Champion; two-time World Bull Riding Champion, co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders, Dancing with the Stars Season 8, ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee
- Moochie Norris, professional basketball player
- Roy Orbison, songwriter and musician
- Jim "Razor" Sharp, two-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Bull Riding Champion, co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders
- Stephnie Weir, actress and comedian
- Kathy Whitworth, professional golfer
See also
- Bill Noël, local industrialist who supported the college
References
- ^ a b "Odessa College". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- ^ "Welcome to OC from the President". Odessa College. www.odessa.edu. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ "Odessa College sees record enrollment numbers for spring 2011" (PDF). Odessa College. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 28, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Staff Directory". Odessa College. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
- ^ 1949-1950 Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide. Dallas: The Dallas Morning News. 1949. p. 419.
- ^ Texas Almanac, 1976-1977. Dallas: The Dallas Morning News. 1975. p. 514.
- ^ Texas Education Code, Section 130.193, "Odessa College District Service Area".
- ^ "Letter to the Honorable Joe Straus" (PDF). tacc.org. January 24, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ "OC is the most winning school in the NJCAA". WranglerSports.com.