Tyler Junior College

Tyler Junior College was established in 1926 during the formative years of the junior college movement in Texas. This institution began as an extension of the Tyler public school system with school superintendent G. O. Clough serving as its first president. World War II stimulated several new programs at the college, but the greatest growth came in the post-war years. In 1945, voters established a new independent junior college district governed by a locally elected ten-member board of trustees. After a successful bond election, noted Tyler architect Shirley Simons designed a campus plan, which included the reuse of several surplus buildings from nearby Camp Fannin and the first new college facility, later named Jenkins Hall. A curriculum expansion accompanied the growth in facilities to offer a broader range of coursework to the students. Seventy-five years after its establishment, Tyler Junior College encompasses a 78-acre campus with 30 buildings and eight residence halls. The district includes Tyler and surrounding communities, allowing the college's significant impact to extend beyond city boundaries into the east Texas region. The growth and success of Tyler Junior College can be attributed to visionary leadership from the presidents and the boards of trustees, a dedicated faculty and a generous citizenry. (2001)

Tyler Junior College is a historical marker in Tyler, Smith County, dedicated in 2001. It is one of 90 historical markers documented in Smith County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 272 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.3336, -95.2843 near Tyler. The nearest cataloged historic site is Rudolph Bergfeld (historical marker), about 1.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Woman's Building, Bonner, Thomas R., Colonel, and Tyler Confederate Ordnance Plant.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5423012516. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.