Montgomery County Community College Celebrates 50 Years

Montgomery County Community College Celebrates 50 Years

By Jack Coll

9-5-13

     It’s hard to believe that Montgomery County Community College is celebrating 50 years of service to the Montgomery County residents.  A long forgotten fact too many of Conshohocken’s residents, is that MCCC started right here in Conshohocken.  Let’s back up about a half a century and explain how and when the college started, and for those of us not familiar with the college’s roots in Conshohocken we’ll fill in the blanks.

In 1961 serious discussions were held on the possibility of opening a County Community College.  By 1963, a bill was introduced in the state legislature for establishment of a community college.  In August 1964, a steering committee delivered a plan to the state Board of Education, which gave the plan approval, and on December 8, 1964, the founding of the college was announced.

Un-related to the forming of the college, in 1965, the Conshohocken community was saddened by the announcement of Act 299 by the State Legislature announcing the mandatory school mergers for any and all schools in the state of Pennsylvania who didn’t meet the required enrollment to merge with other schools effectively closing Conshohocken High school.

The Conshohocken Public School system was created in fall of 1850, and by 1913 the borough school board purchased property on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Fayette Street.  The primary grades of the school system continued at the Harry Street School located at Third Avenue and Harry Street.  At Seventh Avenue and Fayette Street a seven-classroom high school was constructed complete with two drinking fountains and a modern day chemistry laboratory at a total cost of $50,000.  In 1922 the first of several additions to the school happened when they built a gymnasium and auditorium.

In the 55 years that Conshohocken High school existed, the town of Conshohocken and Conshohocken High school’s name was met with respect.  Conshohocken High’s alum included doctors, lawyers, chemist, and professional athletes.  Conshohocken’s athletes were regarded throughout the Philadelphia area as elite.  The football team was perfect in 1930, and again in 1951.  Fifty years ago the school’s basketball team won a state championship.  You might wonder what the big deal with a state championship is, well the school barley had enough kids to field a basketball team.  Names like Mathis, Kitt, White, Graham, Ciccotti, DePalma, Howell, Etheridge, McFadden, Omar, and Reuben will live forever in the school’s history for their championship.  That 1963-64 championship team took on opponents they couldn’t beat, and they beat-em’.

I never met a Conshohocken High Alum that wasn’t proud to announce they graduated from Conshohocken High school.

In the spring of 1966, the 95^th and final graduating class received diplomas. The following fall, all of Conshohocken High School students reported to Germantown Pike to attend Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.  The funny thing was, Plymouth, Whitemarsh, and Conshohocken High schools were all ordered to merge that fall, without having Conshohocken’s name on the school, students from Conshohocken never felt welcomed.  Several attempts were made over the years to have Conshohocken’s name put on the School building, but all attempts failed.  Conshohocken’s tax dollars were always welcomed.  I often wonder how the students felt back in the late 1960’s when they went from Fayette Street to Germantown Pike, to find that Plymouth’s name was on the high school, Whitemarsh’s name was on the school building, but Conshohocken’s name was nowhere to be found, inside or out.

Then came the fall of 1966, Pennsylvania Governor William W. Scranton dedicated the state’s fourth Community College, right here in Conshohocken.  When the colleges students reported for school in October of that year 440 full time students and 150 part time students were in the mix.  By 1971, 3,300 students were roaming Conshohocken’s streets getting their education.  In the fall of 1972 college students reported to Blue Bell, leaving the former Conshohocken High school vacant.

In 1973, just 60 years after being built, Conshohocken High School met the wrecking ball, the lot sat vacant for more than ten years before a bank was built on the site.  While the lot was vacant it served the community as a baseball field, a summer carnival was sponsored by Conshohocken’s fire department, it was a recreation area for a day school housed at the Methodist Church, and in the fall of course it was converted to a football field.  In the end, Conshohocken’s loss was MCCC’s gain, in a small way, Conshohocken continues to educate.

Montgomery County Community College is celebrating 50 years with a yearlong calendar of events.

The school has announced events taking place from now until June, 2014, with more to follow.  For more information on the scheduled events contact the school at 215-641-6518.

 A little trivia!

 When the community college was located in Conshohocken, the college needed nine different locations, to meet the student’s needs.  Of course one of the locations was the old high school located at Seventh Avenue and Fayette Street, can you name the other eight locations in the borough needed to house college classes and offices?  Good Luck!