Odessa College
| Type | Junior college |
|---|---|
| Established | August 29, 1946[1] |
| President | Dr. Gregory D. Williams[2] |
| Students | 5,803[3] |
| Location | Odessa, Texas, U.S. |
| Campus | 80 acres (0.32 km2)[1] |
| Colors | Blue and White[4] |
| Nickname | Wranglers[4] |
| Mascot | "Willie" the Wrangler[4] |
| Affiliations | Western Junior College Athletic Conference[4] |
| Website | odessa.edu |
 | |
Odessa College, informally referred to as OC, is a public two-year junior college based in Odessa, Texas, United States serving the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It was established in 1946 and currently enrolls about 5,000 annually in its university-parallel and occupational/technical courses, and 11,000 students annually in its Basic Education, Continuing Education, and Community Recreation courses.
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Odessa College is the following:[5]
- 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.
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 OC 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 instiututions open. In a letter to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio and Jim Pitts of Waxahachie in Ellis County, then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, TAAC leaders referred to state budget restrictions at the time:
Community colleges are fully aware of the state's budget crisis, and we understand that we will have to bear our share of the budget pain. We pledge to work with you to reach a fair and equitable solution ... the decision to close these four colleges is unfair and inequitable in that it appears to be arbitrary and ill-advised. We stand in support of our sister colleges, and we look forward to a productive debate ...[6]
Athletics
Odessa College participates in the WJCAC Conference of the NJCAA in multiple sports. To date, the OC sports programs have won 46 national NJCAA titles, making them the most winning program in the NJCAA.[7] 11 sports are currently active: Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Golf, Rodeo, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Dance, Cheerleaders, and Trainers. In 1970 the women's tennis team won the third national collegiate championship of the United States Lawn Tennis Association. In 1968 Gail Sykes won the national intercollegiate individual women's golf championship. During the basketball season, OC broadcasts the men's and women's WJCAC road games and the home games with Midland College on the radio.
Notable alumni
- Roy Orbison, musician
- Tryon D. Lewis, state representative from Odessa since 2009, former 161st state judicial district judge
- Joe Melson, American singer and songwriter
- Danny Mason, former golf coach at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, attended 1957-1959
- Ty Murray, Prorodeo 7 time All Around World Champion, 2 time Bull riding Champ
- George E. "Buddy" West, state representative from Odessa, 1993-2008
- Larry Johnson, former NBA basketball player with the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks
- Stephnie Weir, actress, comedian and cast member of MadTV
- Kathy Whitworth, LPGA Hall of Famer
- Moochie Norris, former NBA player, most famously for the Houston Rockets
- Jim "Razor" Sharp, Two Time PRCA World Champion Bullrider
See also
- Bill Noël
- W. E. "Pete" Snelson, Odessa College vice-president (1950-1955), later served in both houses of the Texas State Legislature from Midland[8]
.
References
- 1 2 "Odessa College". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
- ↑ "Welcome to OC from the President". Odessa College. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
- ↑ "Odessa College sees record enrollment numbers for spring 2011" (PDF). Odessa College. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
- 1 2 3 4 "Athletic Staff / Quick Facts". Odessa College Athletics. Retrieved 2011-12-19.
- ↑ Texas Education Code, Section 130.193, "Odessa College District Service Area".
- ↑ "Letter to the Honorable Joe Straus" (PDF). tacc.org. January 24, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ↑ "OC is the most winning school in the NJCAA.". WranglerSports.com.
- ↑ "W. E. "Pete" Snelson (1923-2014)". The Odessa American. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
External links
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Coordinates: 31°51′58.0″N 102°23′0.0″W / 31.866111°N 102.383333°W