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45 Years of Excellence and Innovation The History of College of the Canyons | 1969-2014

“The first year of operation of any new college is never easy,” Rockwell
remarked during the ceremony. “The challenges are numerous. All of you
have met these challenges and, in doing so, have achieved an enviable place
in the history of this college.”
The Hart High campus filled an urgent need, but it was ill-suited to
accommodate a growing number of college students for very long. College
hours were severely hampered because classes could begin only in the late
afternoon, after high school students had left for the day. Sure enough, before
the year was out, College of the Canyons would have a new home.
In January of 1970, voters gave their resounding approval to a $4 million
construction-bond issue
so that College of the
Canyons could create a
permanent campus. Soon
thereafter, the district took
mathematics, meteorology, music, philosophy, physical education, physics, The view of the Newhall Land up on its
temporary modu- earlier offer and pur-
police science, political science, psychology, social science, sociology and lar campus looking
Spanish. west. The buildings chased 153.4 acres of
were erected just land bounded by Valencia
The college fielded its first athletic teams in baseball, basketball, cross south of the pres-
country and track under the auspices of the Desert Conference. ent day Cougar Boulevard on the north
Stadium. and Interstate 5 on the west. “Ultimately we obtained the best site of all,”
Student activities began immediately. The college’s first student body pres- The college’s first
Associated Student Mouck said, referring to the gently rolling oak-studded hills along the east
ident, Paul Driver, was elected. The first issue of the student newspaper, intro- Body was headed by
duced as “The College Sound,” rolled off the press in November. A steady suc- Paul Driver (center). side of Interstate 5. Local pioneers had a more ominous moniker for this par-
cel of land. They called it “Rattlesnake Gulch.”
cession of events with names such as Sweethearts Dance and Annual Awards
College of the Canyons moved out of the Hart High campus in July, set-
Banquet followed, as did theatrical productions such as “The World of
ting up a temporary admissions office in a garage on Pine Street until the new
Ferlinghetti” and “Our Town.”
campus was ready.
The 1970s Just 10 months after voters passed the bond issue, temporary buildings
Before long, the college’s first commencement day arrived. Assembled in housing 99 classrooms were erected, although construction problems delayed
the Hart High cafeteria that June day in 1970 were Dennis Agajanian – the first the opening by two weeks. The college’s first on-campus classes began on
to be handed his diploma – Karen Bright, Karen Coe, Penny Curtis, John Oct. 5, 1970 in an assemblage of prefabricated buildings that faculty, staff
Dalby, Richard Dalmage, Loren Elmore, Stuart Harte, Rita Hendrixson, and students would alternately call the “Instant Campus” or “Stalag 13,” the
Gregory Jenkins, Andrew Kress, Georgia Lucas, Emily Sifferman, Shirley latter a reference to the stark prison camp featured in the TV sitcom “Hogan’s
Stein, Robert Wilder and Wayne Williams. These 16 people hold the distinction Heroes.”
of being the very first graduates of College of the Canyons.
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