Our History at a Glance

1942

Calhoun’s first president, Dr. Carlton Kelley, serves as head of the Decatur Trade school.

1946

The institution moved to its present location near Pryor Field and served as a war surplus project for training WWII vets.

1947

The College was created as the result of the consolidation of the Tennessee Valley State Technical School and John C. Calhoun State Junior College.

1965

The school became a comprehensive institution and was renamed John C. Calhoun State Technical Junior College and Technical School.

1973

The College’s present designation as a community college was formalized by a resolution from the Alabama State Board of Education.

1974

Construction on the Student Center (Decatur campus) was completed; the building would later be named the Chasteen Student Center in honor of the College’s second president, Dr. James Chasteen.

1976

After serving the institution for 34 years as its first president, Dr. Carlton Kelley retires. Student enrollment at the time of Dr. Kelley’s retirement was 5,500. (The College’s gymnasium was named in honor of Dr. Kelley.)

1977

Dr. James Chasteen becomes the College’s second president, serving the institution for 14 years. The Fine Arts Building opens.

1989

Calhoun student Todd Fentress is named the first American Association of Community and Junior College/Phi Theta Kappa National Student Scholar. (At the time of Fentress’ honor, only one student in the entire nation was recognized. Since 1989, six other Calhoun students have been honored among the country’s top two-year college students, giving Calhoun the distinction of having the first and most students to receive this prestigious honor.)

1992

Dr. Richard Carpenter is named Calhoun’s third president, serving for close to 10 years.

1996

The Huntsville/Cummings Research Park campus officially opens. Calhoun’s first website goes “live”.

1997

The College begins offering courses on-line via the Internet.

1998

Calhoun moves from the quarter to the semester system.

2000

The Aerospace Training Center officially opens. Calhoun’s ACT Center opens, making it the first center of its kind in the Southeast and the fifth in the nation.

2001

  • The Public Relations Department expands to include a digital media production house and goes live with the 4CTV Cable Channel
  • Cut the ribbon on the first authorized ACT Testing and Training Center in the Southeast United States

2003

Dr. Marilyn C. Beck becomes the College’s fourth president and makes history as the institution’s first woman president. Calhoun student enrollment tops 9,000.

2004

The College holds groundbreaking for the new Health Sciences Center.

2005

One-stop Center for admissions, registration, financial aid services and student activities completed in Chasteen Student Center.

2006

As a result of the end of the State of Alabama’s higher education desegregation case, Calhoun was allowed to begin offering day classes in Huntsville.

First classes held in the new Health Sciences Center.

2007

Math/Science/Administration Building opens.

Calhoun begins the first associate degree program in Biotechnology in the state of Alabama.

Calhoun Foundation announces largest monetary gift ($1.8 million) in college’s history

2008

Calhoun Chosen for State Robotics Center

2010

Groundbreaking event held for Phase I of the Alabama Center for the Arts

Calhoun’s credit enrollment tops 12,000

2012

Grand opening/ribbon cutting held for the College’s new Alabama Center for Excellence in Clean Energy Technology (ACECET) building

2014

Groundbreaking held for new Math, Science and Computer Science building at the Huntsville campus

Groundbreaking conducted for Phase II of the Alabama Center for the Arts

Calhoun President Dr. Marilyn Beck announces her retirement

College selected to join Achieving the Dream national higher education consortium

2015

Calhoun welcomes Dr. James Klauber, Sr. as its 5th president

2016

Ribbon cutting/grand opening held for new Math, Science and Computer Science building at Huntsville campus

Grand opening held for Alabama Center for the Arts, Phase II

U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King visits Calhoun’s program at Limestone Correctional Facility to highlight the College’s outstanding programs targeting incarcerated students and its selection as a Second Chance Pell site.

2017

Groundbreaking held for new Automotive Technology building

2018

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey presents $1M check to Calhoun and Huntsville Hospital to support creation of a new Nursing simulation lab at the Huntsville campus

College receives $1.5M grant from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce’s Department of Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support construction of the Automotive Technology facility

2019

  • Calhoun Community College ranks #1 in the United States in awarding degrees in Advanced Manufacturing
  • Calhoun Partners with Ford Motor Company to Kick-off the Pilot Summer Automotive Academy
  • The U.S. Department of Education announced the approval of a five-year, $1.9M Title III Grant to Calhoun

2020

  • Calhoun Holds First Ever Virtual Commencement after the COVID-19 pandemic shuts down public gatherings throughout the state and across the country.
  • Cut the ribbon on a brand new 23,400 square-foot, approximately $7 million Automotive Technology Building

2021

  • Distributed 5.3 million dollars in stimulus payments to students through the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
  • Cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art 4,000 square foot dental hygiene lab featuring ten operatories, four radiology chairs and four simulators

2022

Chancellor Jimmy Baker and the Alabama Community College System Board of trustees appoint Dr. Jimmy Hodges as the 6th President of Calhoun Community College.