Board Seeks an Office Location
(NOTE: The reference to “Junior College” preceded the use of “Community College” and is reflective of the historical period of the following information)
With some of the necessary housekeeping matters resolved, the new Junior College Board still needed a location it could call “home”. Meetings continued to take place in the McHenry County Superintendent of Schools Office, located in what was then called the Courthouse Annex, just off the Woodstock Square on Calhoun Street. It is now the site of the Woodstock City Hall.
At least four facilities were offered to the newly formed district, including one in downtown Crystal Lake, and several locations in Woodstock. The Board researched all offers, considering cost, location, and the amount of available office and parking space.
Money from the State for Initial Expenses
The State of Illinois provided the promised $100,000 for initial expenses. The check was deposited in the bank on July 14, 1967. The State provided this amount for each newly formed junior college district once it was approved by the public. The funds would help cover the search for a college president, initial salaries, office rent, office equipment, and operating expenses. The state money also could help high school graduates begin their junior college work immediately. It would cover tuition for students from McHenry County’s newly formed junior college district to attend any other junior college in the state. The board received over 300 applications for this assistance.
Depositing the check in the McHenry State Bank, the financial institution chosen by the board, are from left, a bank teller accepting the check; Board Member Mrs. Joan Hill, McHenry Bank Officer Tom Bolger, selected by the board as its Treasurer; Board Member Tom Parsley, Junior College Board Chairman E.C. Nichols, and William Banker, Board Secretary.
Meeting Details Decided
The Board settled on the Fourth Thursday of each month for its meetings, although the location was not yet determined. As for meeting notification under the Open Meetings Act, the board decided individuals who wanted notice of the meetings should provide self-addressed and stamped envelopes.
Vocational Education Classes
To determine which adult technical and vocational programs would most benefit local companies and their employees, the Adult Education Committee surveyed businesses and professions of McHenry County. Board members Cal Skinner, Sr. and Thomas Parsley worked on this committee.
In addition to potential courses, the questionnaire inquired whether business leaders or their employees might teach courses on a “moonlighting” basis, and if companies might have space available for classes to meet.
The survey suggested technical and vocational courses such as blueprint reading, industrial mathematics, electricity (ac and dc), electronics, machine shop, sewing, typing stenography, comptometry, bookkeeping, drafting, wiring and soldering, sales promotion, plumbing, cosmetology, human relations, conference leading, job instructor training, cost control, quality control, safety training, work simplification, material handling, reading improvement, industrial economics, industrial report filing, sales and distribution, and retail mathematics.
Crystal Lake and Woodstock high schools seemed anxious to cooperate, as reported by Skinner. Board member Banker suggested a college president should be hired first.
Be sure to return to this site for more history blogs and learn about the numerous activities the newly formed board had to work on before classes could begin.
Summer, Fall Anniversary Activities Underway
Join us for ongoing 40th Anniversary celebrations, including posting your memories and photos on our electronic time capsule and MCC blog. Links and event details are posted at www.mchenry.edu/mccanniversary. Pages will change regularly, so visit often! You also can call toll-free 1-866-788-9911 or send an email with contact information to 40years@mchenry.edu for more information.
Iris Bryan
With some of the necessary housekeeping matters resolved, the new Junior College Board still needed a location it could call “home”. Meetings continued to take place in the McHenry County Superintendent of Schools Office, located in what was then called the Courthouse Annex, just off the Woodstock Square on Calhoun Street. It is now the site of the Woodstock City Hall.
At least four facilities were offered to the newly formed district, including one in downtown Crystal Lake, and several locations in Woodstock. The Board researched all offers, considering cost, location, and the amount of available office and parking space.
Money from the State for Initial Expenses
The State of Illinois provided the promised $100,000 for initial expenses. The check was deposited in the bank on July 14, 1967. The State provided this amount for each newly formed junior college district once it was approved by the public. The funds would help cover the search for a college president, initial salaries, office rent, office equipment, and operating expenses. The state money also could help high school graduates begin their junior college work immediately. It would cover tuition for students from McHenry County’s newly formed junior college district to attend any other junior college in the state. The board received over 300 applications for this assistance.
Depositing the check in the McHenry State Bank, the financial institution chosen by the board, are from left, a bank teller accepting the check; Board Member Mrs. Joan Hill, McHenry Bank Officer Tom Bolger, selected by the board as its Treasurer; Board Member Tom Parsley, Junior College Board Chairman E.C. Nichols, and William Banker, Board Secretary.Meeting Details Decided
The Board settled on the Fourth Thursday of each month for its meetings, although the location was not yet determined. As for meeting notification under the Open Meetings Act, the board decided individuals who wanted notice of the meetings should provide self-addressed and stamped envelopes.
Vocational Education Classes
To determine which adult technical and vocational programs would most benefit local companies and their employees, the Adult Education Committee surveyed businesses and professions of McHenry County. Board members Cal Skinner, Sr. and Thomas Parsley worked on this committee.
In addition to potential courses, the questionnaire inquired whether business leaders or their employees might teach courses on a “moonlighting” basis, and if companies might have space available for classes to meet.
The survey suggested technical and vocational courses such as blueprint reading, industrial mathematics, electricity (ac and dc), electronics, machine shop, sewing, typing stenography, comptometry, bookkeeping, drafting, wiring and soldering, sales promotion, plumbing, cosmetology, human relations, conference leading, job instructor training, cost control, quality control, safety training, work simplification, material handling, reading improvement, industrial economics, industrial report filing, sales and distribution, and retail mathematics.
Crystal Lake and Woodstock high schools seemed anxious to cooperate, as reported by Skinner. Board member Banker suggested a college president should be hired first.
Be sure to return to this site for more history blogs and learn about the numerous activities the newly formed board had to work on before classes could begin.
Summer, Fall Anniversary Activities Underway
Join us for ongoing 40th Anniversary celebrations, including posting your memories and photos on our electronic time capsule and MCC blog. Links and event details are posted at www.mchenry.edu/mccanniversary. Pages will change regularly, so visit often! You also can call toll-free 1-866-788-9911 or send an email with contact information to 40years@mchenry.edu for more information.
Iris Bryan
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