Kilgore College

Kilgore College (KC) is a community college in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment in excess of 5,000 students, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the Associate's Degree.[1][2] The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom,[3] and as such, is home to the East Texas Oil Museum which houses a large collection of memorabilia documenting this period of Texas history.

Kilgore College
MottoYour Future Starts Here!
TypeCommunity college
Established1935
Endowment$16 million
PresidentDr. Brenda Kays
Students5000+ credit hour; 3700+ non-credit
Location
Kilgore
,
Texas
,
U.S.

32.377056°N 94.872600°W / 32.377056; -94.872600
ColorsBlue and Gray
NicknameRangers
AffiliationsSouthwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC)
WebsiteKilgore College
Old Main at Kilgore College

Kilgore College has one of the lowest costs per credit hour of any college or university in Texas.[4][5] In addition to preparing students for undergraduate degrees that are completed at 4-year colleges and universities, KC's programs also include continuing education and workforce training. The college offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Applied Science degrees, and tech prep and certificate programs including welding, corrosion technology, and process operations.

In addition to academics, the school has programs that include various musical ensembles, The Flare newspaper and men's and women's athletics. KC is also known for their athletic programs, including a football team that has more wins than any other NJCAA team in Texas, including an outright NJCAA championship in 1966, and a national poll championship in 1978.

The group most people associate with the college are the Kilgore College Rangerettes, the first precision dance team in the world, created in 1940 by Gussie Nell Davis. The Rangerettes have performed internationally, including annually at the pregame and half-time of the Cotton Bowl Classic, several Dallas Cowboys games, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more than a few U.S. Presidential inaugurations.

The college has an exceptional band which numbers between 100 and 125 members each year. Organized in 1936, the Ranger Band has performed in Venezuela, France, Hong Kong, Macao, Korea and Romania, as well as the Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Shrine East-West Game, Kiwanis Bowl (Norfolk, VA), American All-Star Game (Tampa, FL) six Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades, and the inaugural parade for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jr.

In June 1986, the Texas Shakespeare Festival opened its inaugural season at Kilgore College; the festival has called KC home for what will be 34 consecutive summers in 2019. The college provides financial support and facilities for the festival, which is a vital cultural asset for all of East Texas.[6]

College service area

As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of KC includes territory within the following school districts:[7]

Notable alumni
  • Welcome Sign
  • Old Main
  • Student Center
  • Randolph C. Watson Library
  • Masters Gymnasium
  • Gussie Nell Davis Rangerette Residence
  • East Texas Oil Museum (established 1979) is located on the Kilgore College campus.
  • Kilgore College operates a branch campus in nearby Longview.

References
  1. "Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges". Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  2. "Kilgore College Reaffirmation of Accreditation". Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. "A brief history of Kilgore College". Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  4. KC: An Exceptional Value, Kilgore College, 24 July 2009.
  5. Community College Costs, 2008–2009, CollegeForTexans.com (archived at waybackmachine.org), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. accessed 19 December 2009.
  6. "Texas Shakespeare Festival History". Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  7. Texas Education Code, Section 130.184, "Kilgore Junior College District Service Area".
  8. "ESPN Classic – Not the size of the dog in the fight". go.com. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  9. Penrose, Kathryn (October 28, 2005). "Caldwell observing 'Rodney'" (PDF). The Flare. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  10. "Derrick Lewis UFC Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  11. "Proud to Be Texan". texansforstovall.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
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