 "Photo: file photo / The Advocate")
When West Contra Costa Junior College first opened its doors to the public in 1950, classes were taught in the Richmond shipyards. In addition to taking traditional general education courses, students could also become involved in the college’s trade programs.
Six years later, the college was relocated to its current home in San Pablo. By March 1957, enrollment had quickly shot to 9,187 students, and a year later, the name was officially changed to Contra Costa College.
Rich in diversity, CCC became a hot spot for political activity.
During the 1960s, activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Booker T. Anderson and black power advocate Stokely Carmichael spoke on campus.
The college, however, has also seen its share of scandal and tragedy. In December 1997, then-president D. Candy Rose was placed on paid administrative leave and under investigation for mishandling district funds.
In March 1998, Dr. Rose pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of using her position to influence a government decision for her benefit or the benefit of a family member.
Less than a month later, on April 8, the Governing Board announced that Rose had resigned, ending her 13-year tenure as president.
But that was not the worst of the college’s fortune, however.
In September 1996, student Christopher Robinson was shot and killed at 10:20 a.m. as he was sitting on a chair in front of the Student Activities Building in the quad.
And more than 10 years later, student police aide Edgar Rocha was shot just off campus while in pursuit of an alleged car thief in November 2007.
Reporting and covering these major events, as well as smaller events and other information pertaining to CCC’s student population, was the campus newspaper.
What started as the Blue and Gray Newsletter went through a handful of name changes before being renamed The Advocate in November 1960.
“(The Advocate) is a responsible, professional publication year after year,” former political science professor Ted Radke said, as quoted in the March 29 issue of The Advocate in 2000. Radke had been a CCC student in the mid-60s and heard Dr. King speak in the CCC Gymnasium in 1964.
In 1960, the Master Plan for Education was established, promising higher education to all. In accordance with this, tuition was free at the state’s two-year colleges. Student enrollment continued to increase.
To accommodate this growth, more buildings had to be constructed. In the 1960s and ’70s, the college gained seven new buildings, as well as the tennis courts, swimming pool and athletic fields.
Once the facilities were constructed, students had a place to pursue their education and vocational careers.
Along with academics, sports and other programs had begun to flourish on campus.
A number of successful athletes in various sports, including Benny Barnes, Joe “JD” Banks and Eddie Hart are former CCC athletes.
Today, although the college no longer offers some of its original programs, such as welding and appliance repair, others have taken root and become successful.
When McKinley Williams became president of CCC in 2005, he coined the slogan, “the premier community college in your own backyard.”
“We have a number of exemplary programs, and that’s what makes us a premier community college,” he said. “We award more degrees and certificates per full-time equivalent students than our sister colleges.”
Some of these award-winning programs on campus include culinary arts, automotive collision repair, the Center for Science Excellence (CSE), journalism and forensics.
Culinary arts students can gain practical experience through serving at local community events and in the student-run restaurant, the Three Seasons. The CSE program was one of 10 community college programs in the state to receive recognition at the state Board of Governor’s meeting in January 2010.
Many students said they have been fortunate to have knowledgeable instructors. Williams also praised his staff.
“We have a very passionate faculty and staff working at the college who are dedicated to serving students,” he said.
Instructors agree that their students make their jobs worthwhile.
“It’s enjoyable, and we know we will help students succeed,” said Helen Kalkstein, Communication, Liberal Arts, Skills and Services Division dean.
Over the decades, CCC continued to gain relevance not only among locals, but with foreigners as well. International students began to flock to community colleges, in hopes of gaining American degrees and transferring to four-year universities.
Kalkstein, who was hired as an ESL instructor in 1990, said, “(The college) was growing, and we all worked together. Students came from all over the world, and there was a lot of positive energy.”
That previous fall, Middle College High School made its debut on campus in September 1989. Twenty years later, it is now the top-ranked high school in the West Contra Costa School District, as well as one of the better schools in the state, Williams said.
Keeping in this tradition, the college is still improving its offerings.
Nearly 40 years after their original construction, some of the older buildings will be replaced with newer ones, transforming the outdated campus into a modern facility.
These changes, combined with its dedicated staff, will continue to ensure the success of students for years to come, Williams said.
Contact Lauren Shiraishi at lshiraishi.advocate@gmail.com
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