2006 - 2007 Annual Report
Pride in Our Past
The college kicked off its 50th anniversary at convocation in January with a theme of Pride in our Past… Promise for the Future.
A retrospective of CFCC, Central Florida Junior College and Hampton Junior College was displayed at the Webber Center before traveling to the Citrus Campus. A timeline chronicled the history, and photographs and memorabilia offered a glimpse of the past.
Interviews and images were compiled in an anniversary book CELEBRATING 50 YEARS WITH PRIDE, offering an opportunity to reflect on the growth of the college.
Individuals shared their memories through the 50 Journals Project, a collaborative effort to celebrate the anniversary through writing and art. After a year in circulation, the journals were on display and will become a part of our library collection.
A community celebration was held on Jan. 17 with the dedication of the Bert Dosh Sculpture, several memorial benches and the 50-foot Bell Tower.
The college recognized community partner Ocala Rotary Club for its donation of a drinking fountain for the Ocala Campus. Rotary member and former Board of Trustees member Frank Rasbury announced that the donation was in celebration of Rotary International’s centennial in 2005 and the college’s 50-year anniversary.
Dr. Terry O’Banion, a former Central Florida Junior College dean of students, returned to lead a discussion on the Early Stirrings of Student Development in the Community College: The Role of Central Florida Community College. He said, “This college has made a tremendous impact on this community, on this region, on the leadership in the state, and it has had a very long arm and influence on a number of major issues facing community colleges across the United States and Canada.”
Homecoming was held in February, with more than 400 individuals attending the bonfire, cookout and fireworks. Sarah Thomas, 89, joined family members of other college founders as the first building on campus was renamed Founders Hall.
The 19th annual Taste of Ocala was held on campus for the first time in celebration of the college’s anniversary. Attendance was estimated at 3,000 and a record 53 restaurants participated. More than $60,000 was raised to support the Taste of Ocala Endowment for scholarships and will enable us to apply for an additional $60,000 in state matching funds.
Three of seven graduates from Central Florida Junior College’s first graduating class in 1959 attended spring graduation 2007, and were the first to march on the newly dedicated Graduation Walkway, sponsored by the Alumni Association. They were joined by Alumni Association President Morrey Deen.
The media provided extensive coverage of anniversary events, including a positive Star-Banner editorial: At 50, a Part of Our Soul.
