Founders look back at AC's
35-year history

Dr. Jack Hudgins, president emeritus, said he was proud to be the founding president of Angelina College.

H.J. "Bubba" Shands, co-chair of the Steering Committee, and Judge David Walker, secretary of the Steering Committee, said they had never done anything they were more proud of than to be a part of the founding of
Angelina College 35 years ago.

Dr. Larry Phillips, president of the college, said, "I don't think you will
ever find a group of people with more leadership ability than these people
we are honoring today."

Their sentiments resonated at the Founders' Luncheon on Nov.15 when the
Study and Steering Committees that founded the college 35 years ago were honored. All members of the original board of trustees either attended the luncheon or were represented by family members.

Their boardroom portraits were presented to the families of the retired
trustees, and digitized copies of the portraits were hung on Founders' Wall
in Hudgins Hall. "We thank you for your vision," Dr. Phillips told the group
who started Angelina College when he addressed them at the luncheon.

In the past 35 years, AC has produced over 1,500 registered nurses, over
2,500 health care workers, thousands of draftsmen, welders, diesel
mechanics, accountants, computer technicians and trained workers in over 40 other occupational areas.

The college operates on a budget just over $13 million, circulates over $10
million in payroll and brings in $8 million of state funding and almost $6
million in student federal financial aid.

Today, 35 years later and much inflation later, the average homeowner still
pays only about $5 a month in taxes for their local community college.

More than 60 percent of the county's high school graduates find Angelina
College a great place to start their post-secondary education within two
years after high school graduation.

In the past 35 years, more than 100,000 East Texans have taken courses at Angelina College.

Photos

Click on photos for a larger image

George Henderson Jr.  (left) looks at  Founders Wall in  Hudgins Hall with Dot  and Brent Brookshire.  They represented Oscar Brookshire who was co-chairman of the Steering Committee that founded Angelina College in 1966.	H.J. "Bubba" Shands Jr. Co-Chairman of  Steering Committee  Board of Trustees, Nov. 8, 1971 - May 9, 1994
Judge David Walker, the keynote speaker for the luncheon, was secretary of the Steering Committee and a charter board trustee. Judge Walker has sworn in most of the trustees during the past 35 years.	Dot and Brent Brookshire,  representing Oscar  Brookshire  Co-Chairman of Steering  Committee Board of Trustees, Sept. 24,1966 - April 5, 1976
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