CAC Celebrates 40 Years (1969-2009)

Volume 2 - Issue 3
www.centralaz.edu
Winter 2009
CAC Celebrates 40 Years (1969-2009)
A day of family fun on Saturday, November 14, 2009
Central Arizona College is inviting
the community to celebrate its 40th
anniversary with a family-oriented day
of fun on Nov. 14, beginning at 2 p.m.
No charge for any events.
Signal Peak Campus
8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85128
Event
Location (campus maps available on site)
College Open House (Demonstrations)
- Communication Division
Interactive Learning Center (O) Rooms 112 A & B
- Creative Arts (Ceramics & Oil Painting)
Sizer Building (N) Rooms 127 & 106
- Creative Arts (Children’s Programs)
Sizer Building (N) Courtyard
- Culinary Arts
Sizer Building (N) 120
- Learning Center
Interactive Learning Center (O) Room 200
- Massage Therapy
Interactive Learning Center (O) Room 100
- Math
Interactive Learning Center (O) Room 113
- Nursing
Interactive Learning Center (O) Room 217
- Technology Division (FFA & Heavy Equipment)
Interactive Learning Center (O) Room 110
2-2:30 p.m. CAC Jazz Choir
Pence Center (P) Main Theater
2-3 p.m.
Science (Biology – To Your Health)
Hoyt Hall Science/Engineering Building (S) 115
2-4 p.m.
Honors Program
Sheldon University Center (T) 201
2-6 p.m.
Family Events* (see note below for activities)
The Green
2-6 p.m.
Student & Faculty Art Exhibit
Sizer Building Lobby (N)
2-7 p.m.
STARLAB
Student Services Building (M) Room 101
2-7 p.m.
Astronomy Lab Open House/Astronomy Night @ The Peak
Observatory (S)
2-7 p.m.
Mary Bruns Art Exhibit
Visual Arts Gallery, Student Services (M)
3-5 p.m.
Men’s Basketball – Vaqueros vs. Howard (TX) College
George Young Activity Center (G) Gym
Dazzlers Dance Troop (Halftime and Postgame)
George Young Activity Center (G) Gym
3:30-4:30 p.m. CAC Student Guitar Recital
Quad Area (Behind M Building)
4-5 p.m.
CAC Bell Choir
Sheldon University Center (T) 116
4-5:30 p.m. Home on the Mornin’ Train (CAC Play)
Pence Center (P) Main Theater
4-5:30 p.m. Science (Chemistry of Fireworks)
Hoyt Hall Science/Engineering Building (S) 114
5-6 p.m.
CAC Jazz Band
Quad Area (Behind M Building)
6-7:30 p.m. 2nd Shift (Concert)
The Green (On the Stage)
7:30-7:45 p.m. Fireworks
The Green
Schedule subject to change
*Family Events - Inflatable obstacles courses, face-painting activities, balloons, free hamburgers & hot dogs!
Time
2-6 p.m.
40th Anniversary Celebration
CAC’s roots take hold at the base of Signal Peak Mountain
Forty years ago Neil Armstrong took the
first steps on the moon and the New York
Mets were shocking the professional sports
world by becoming one of the youngest
expansion franchises to win a championship.
But in Pinal County something more
prophetic was growing out of the desert
landscape near the base of Signal Peak
Mountain – Central Arizona College.
In the fall of 1969 the seeds of higher
education had taken root and the doors of
CAC were flung open to provide college
credits and job training to county residents.
Those seeds were actually planted on July
1, 1961, when the Arizona Legislature
passed a bill permitting counties with the
necessary assessed valuation and potential
numbers of students to form junior college
districts.
Senator E. Blodwin Thode from Casa
Grande introduced the measure and on Dec.
17, 1961, Pinal County voted in favor 1701 to 814 - to organize a junior college
district.
As outlined in the bill, County
Superintendent of Schools Mary C. O’Brien
appointed five citizens to make up the original Pinal County Junior College District
Governing Board.
Charter appointees included Claude C.
Compton of Casa Grande; C. Leroy Hoyt of
Kearny; Paul Pearce of Eloy; Dr. Leslie A.
Wakefield of Florence; and Dr. G. H. Walker
of Coolidge.
Lee BeDillon of Casa Grande was
appointed by Governor Paul Fannin to serve
as the first Pinal County representative on
the Arizona State Board of Directors for
Junior Colleges.
The organizational meeting of this historic and newly-created board was held on
Jan. 16, 1962, in the Pinal County Board of
Supervisors’ meeting room at the Pinal
County Courthouse in Florence. The
Honorable T.J. Mahoney, superior court
judge, administered the oath of office.
Walker was elected to serve as the first
board president and Pearce was picked as
the first secretary.
The new district held its first election for
board members later that same year on Oct.
2. Walker, Wakefield, Compton and Pearce
were joined by Dr. James T. O’Neil of Casa
Grande as the first publicly elected governing board for the district.
For the first six years of the board’s existence, the members worked diligently to
find a suitable location for the campus while
simultaneously preparing for a bond election
to actually build the Signal Peak Campus.
On June 1, 1967, Dr. Don P. Pence
arrived in Coolidge to assume the task of
developing Central Arizona College. He
hired Bettie Clemans as his secretary,
ordered furniture and supplies, and then set
out to find assistant educators to build a college.
Pence, who was the founding president of
Central Oregon Community College in
Bend, Ore., was a music teacher before
moving into educational administration. He
received a doctorate from Oregon State
University in 1960. Today, CAC’s beautiful
theater is named in his honor.
The governing board first authorized
Pence to hire William “Bill” Hudson as his
chief assistant and dean of students. Hudson
also had worked at Central Oregon
Early members of the Pinal County Community College District Governing Board and administration
Page 2
Community College and agreed to come
aboard in September.
Other key employees who aided in the
development of the college included Homer
Koliba, the dean of business affairs; Guy
Acuff, director of developmental education;
and Dale Gibson, director of vocationaltechnical education.
After retiring in the late 1970s, Koliba –
now a resident in the city of Maricopa – has
returned to serve as the chair of CAC’s 40th
Anniversary Committee.
Also brought on board was William L.
Flores, who was hired to assist administrative personnel in organizing curriculum for
technical-vocational and adult education.
In 1968, Dr. Ronald F. Schoen of Casa
Grande was elected president of the Central
Arizona College Foundation, an organization designed to help raise funds for the
institution. The presidential board of the
organization also consisted of first vicepresident Ivor G. Pickering of Kearny; second vice-president Robert Bean of
Coolidge; and secretary-treasurer Mona
Collerette of Casa Grande.
In keeping with the history and diversity
of the region, the governing board determined that a modern Spanish-Indian motif
would be utilized in the construction of the
college buildings.
With 400 acres of land available on
desert terrain at the base of Signal Peak
Mountain, such a building plan was plausible. The governing board also expressed its
desire to preserve the natural beauty of the
desert mountain setting and to protect the
native flora and cacti indigenous to the area.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at
Signal Peak on Nov. 8, 1968, with Dr. John
Lombardi, president of Los Angeles Junior
College, serving as the master of ceremonies.
Nearly a year later when CAC opened its
doors, The Arizona Republic described the
Signal Peak Campus as resembling an
Arizona guest ranch with an informal
atmosphere that provided a unique setting
for the pursuit of knowledge.
Approximately 1,000 full- and part-time
students registered for classes at the new
Signal Peak Campus. In fact, the dorms
were barely finished when the board
approved construction of more housing.
40th Anniversary Celebration
CAC’s early success
cements foundation
Forty years ago CAC started its journey. Looking back on its history, those
first accomplishments are far greater
than reading bullet points on a page –
they helped cement the foundation of
today.
The governing board unanimously
voted to dedicate the science hall to the
memory of C. Leroy Hoyt. Hoyt was a
member of the original five-person
board appointed in January of 1962 following the vote to establish what is
known today as the Pinal County
Community College District.
The CAC board approved a seal for
the college, designed by William
Hudson, dean of student affairs for the
college.
The center of the gold seal contains
the seal of Pinal County which represents mining. Below a saguaro cactus
and a cotton plant are depicted.
The entire design is surrounded by
the Pima sun symbol. The gold center
rests on a green background, representative of the school colors.
The seal was developed by the late
Don Ratz who was a CAC art instructor.
In 1969, the college started its second
year of teaching at the Arizona State
Prison. During its first year, 100 inmates
registered for the program.
It didn’t take long for CAC to start
expanding into other service areas. In
September of 1970, CAC finished its $1
million Career Center on the Gila River
Indian Reservation.
Rick Gibson, a member of the current
governing board, was selected as the
first class president of the college.
The dedication ceremony was held on
Jan. 11, 1970. An estimated 3,000 local
and state residents, dignitaries and officials filled the gymnasium for the event.
On May 22, 1970, another CAC first
was celebrated – this time in the nursing
department when a class of 14 students
received their degrees.
Commencement exercises were held
on May 31, 1970, when 25 associate
degrees were conferred.
The nickname Vaqueros was adopted
as the moniker for CAC’s sports teams.
CAC found its place in the early 1970s
From 1972-74, the chaos of Watergate and
the stress of Vietnam gobbled up the headlines of American papers on a daily basis.
But CAC went from taking baby steps to a
Major League player in Arizona.
Brad Sizer of Coolidge was elected as the
governing board president for the Pinal
County Community College District, while
Paul Pearce of Eloy was named the secretary-treasurer for the 1972-73 fiscal years.
An auto mechanics class for women in
Casa Grande was taught by Ben Crow, a
Casa Grande Union High School auto
mechanics instructor.
Noted screen, theater and television actor
Vincent Price, who appeared as Edgar Allen
Poe’s villain in several motion pictures and
was known in pop culture for the voice in
Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, staged a
one-man show at CAC that was free to the
public.
The Mariachi group Los Vaqueros del
Colegio, under the direction of Dr. James
Johnson, toured area high schools. The members received standing ovations wherever
they appeared. The Mariachi group recorded
an album containing 10 contemporary tunes.
Johnson arranged all of the music while also
directing and supervising the recording session.
Chuck Foster, a CAC All-American long
distance runner, broke the three-mile record
in San Diego.
Marilyn Taylor took first-place honors in
the female persuasive speech division in the
national junior college speech competition in
Los Angeles.
On June 1, 1972, word reached the CAC
campus that head coach George Young had
qualified for the 1972 Olympics in Mexico
City - his fourth Olympiad.
Steve Jones was elected state president for
Phi Beta Lambda - future business leaders of
America.
The CAC parliamentary team of Mike
Maki, Nancy Ferine, Molly Quijada, Susan
Jaime and George Ashford won first place.
Dorothy L. Bray, English professor at
CAC, was awarded a National Endowment
Junior College Teacher Fellowship. The presentation was from the National Council for
the Humanities. Bray spent the summer and
fall on the Apache Indian Reservation at San
Carlos where she studied the Apache language.
On May 31, 1973, CAC saw its largest
Los Vaqueros del Colegio
graduating class to date when 194 associate
degrees were conferred.
On Sept. 8, nationally-known country
western singer Sammi Smith of Coolidge
launched the school year with a concert as
part of the public event series for 1972-73.
The state board for community colleges
authorized a 48-bed addition to dormitories
at CAC, and approved preliminary construction plans for the Aravaipa Campus.
David Callahan, a CAC art student from
Arizona City, was commissioned to paint a
30-foot modernistic mural of a Vaquero on a
black horse to decorate the water tower at the
Signal Peak Campus.
Controversy surrounded two cross country
runners and the length of their hair. Bill
Allen of the Gila River Indian Reservation
and Chuck Foster of Fort Defiance were
ordered to cut their near shoulder-length hair
by head coach George Young. Both refused
which led to hearings on campus. Allen said
he would rather quit the team than cut his
hair. Foster, who kept his hair long, placed
fifth at the NJCAA national meet in
Pensacola, Fla.
The women’s volleyball team, coached by
Lin Laursen, won the Arizona Community
College championship.
George Young, track coach and first distance runner to compete in four Olympiads,
was inducted into the Arizona Athletic Hall
of Fame Dec. 22, 1972.
Chuck Foster broke the 14-minute mark in
the three-mile with a time of 13:55.9. Two
other runners also placed in nationals. Lewis
Green won the shot put with a toss of 51
feet, 6 inches, and Ralph Haynie cleared 146 to easily win the pole vault event.
The Whitetaker Pool Company of Tucson
was awarded a contract to build the
Olympic-size swimming pool.
The Vaquero Foundation was formed at
CAC to help in the recruitment of studentathletes.
Page 3
40th Anniversary Celebration
CAC hits its stride
in the mid-1970s
Women’s basketball bloomed at
Central Arizona College as Lin Laursen
began erecting a dynasty in the desert.
On March 13, 1976, the Vaqueras
were ranked first in Region 7 of the
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
for Women (AIAW) tournament hosted
by Mesa Community College.
During the mid-1970s, CAC began
extending its accessibility throughout
Pinal County, becoming an important
community-building entity that still
exists today.
Dr. Don P. Pence was named an
Outstanding Educator in Arizona for
1975, along with Harry Schmidt, professor of physical science and mathematics; Dale Gibson, executive dean; and
George Young, track coach and athletic
director.
Enrollment reports in March showed
the spring semester Full-time Student
Equivalency (FTSE) count to be 1,915
at Signal Peak Campus, 518 at Arizona
College of Technology Campus, and
315 at the Gila River Career Center.
The total of 2,748 was 518 higher
than the previous fall’s 2,230 total. Total
headcount was 6,005.
Students from CAC Phi Beta Lambda
successfully competed in the PBL
Leadership Conference, placing in 21 of
22 events.
The man once dubbed the World’s
Fastest Human - 1936 Olympic Gold
Medalist Jesse Owens --was the guest
speaker at CAC’s annual sports banquet
that was held on April 24, 1975.
The date of May 16, 1975, marked
the first graduation and dedication at the
Arizona College of Technology.
In June of 1975, the McCartney Road
interchange on Interstate 10 opened to
traffic.
In addition to improving access to
CAC, it gave Casa Grande another
direct route to the freeway.
Dedication of the Pence Center and
open house, held on Sunday, Oct. 26,
marked a two-week Bicentennial celebration.
Page 4
New decade loomed on horizon: 1980s
A new decade loomed on the not so distant horizon and America was about to
change - and so was Central Arizona
College. The 1980s were coming.
In a regular meeting of the governing
board on the Aravaipa Campus (Arizona
College of Technology) in eastern Pinal
County, ACT Executive Dean Dr. J. Williams
presented a report noting that enrollment on
the campus and five nearby communities –
Kearny, Hayden, San Manuel, Oracle and
Mammoth - had reached 492.
In a related matter, Dr. Mel A.
Everingham reported to the board that funding was available for campus additions at
ACT, including a library revision, and adding
four classrooms, a warehouse, and a multipurpose activity center for indoor supporting
activities.
The sounds of Brahms’ Symphony No. 2,
Wagner’s Overture to Rienzi, and Bruch’s
Violin Concerto No. 1 filled the Pence
Center as the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra
brought its special magic to CAC.
Dr. H. Thomas Hendrickson, Jr., was honored as the first CAC recipient of the
Arizona State Community College Board’s
Alumni Award.
CAC freshman Barrie Beach of Gilbert
was named all-around cowgirl at the 1978
College National Rodeo Finale.
Teams selected nine CAC freshmen in the
1978 Major League Baseball Winter Draft.
Dan Woodward (Philadelphia Phillies), Dan
Keck, (Baltimore Orioles); Mark Knowles
(Texas Rangers), and Doug Jones and Larry
May, (Milwaukee Brewers) were picked.
The Governing Board approved Dr. Mel
A. Everingham’s recommendations to develop a college with the name Central Arizona
College with multiple campuses, changing
location names from CAC to Signal Peak
Campus, and Arizona College of Technology
to Aravaipa Campus.
Dr. Dale Gibson presented to the governing board a Needs Assessment Survey for the
Apache Junction area, which included a recommendation to purchase land for a campus.
A new decade spurs optimism
The Miracle on Ice of the 1980 USA
Olympic Hockey Team ushered in a new
decade of optimism. In Pinal County,
CAC’s influence and integration into the
community was everywhere.
Kim Freyermuth of Casa Grande, CAC’s
vocal music professor, starred as Maria
Rainer in CAC’s spring musical production
The Sound of Music.
More than 700 high school students from
throughout Pinal County had the opportunity to hear 80 speakers from business and
industry at Career Expo ’81, a workshop
where 19 career fields were surveyed.
Dolan Ellis, designated Arizona’s
Official Balladeer by former Gov. Jack
Williams, presented a multi-media musical
concert at the Signal Peak Campus.
Dorothy Powell, director of Senior Adult
Programs for CAC, was selected an official
delegate to the Arizona State Conference
for the White House Conference on Aging.
The CACtus, CAC’s student newspaper,
won 24 awards, half of which were firstplace at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate
Press Association Convention.
More than 150 students of the Signal
Peak Campus participated in graduation
ceremonies on May 15, 1982.
Arlene Ratz received special professional
recognition from the Music Teachers
National Association (MTNA) as a nationally certified teacher of piano.
Ruthell King became the first woman
student-athlete at Central Arizona College
to be named a First Team All-American.
More than 770 students from Pinal
County high schools attended Central
Arizona College’s Career Expo - a daylong
look at careers available in a variety of
occupations.
The CAC governing board voted to lease
40 acres of state land for a campus at
Apache Junction.
Denis R. Lassuy, a 1973 graduate of
CAC, was named outstanding alumnus of
the Signal Peak Campus for 1981-82 by the
Arizona Community College Board. Lassuy
held the position of fisheries biologist and
oceanographer with the National Coastal
Ecosystems Team of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in Louisiana.
More than 200 students at the Signal
Peak Campus received associate degrees or
training certificates during the 13th Annual
graduation ceremonies.
40th Anniversary Celebration
CAC’s growing success expands beyond Pinal County
Rapidly approaching the end of its second
decade of existence, CAC successes became
known far beyond the borders of Pinal
County. In addition, 1984-86 brought many
new faces and the plans of expansion to the
district.
Wayne Gerken, previously vice-president
of academic and student affairs, became
Central Arizona College’s executive vicepresident. Dennis Jenkins, former dean of
business services for the district, was named
the vice president for finance and administrative services. Cherie McGlynn, district
registrar, was named the district director of
student records and registrar.
Internationally-known psychologist,
columnist, television personality, and lecturer Dr. Joyce Brothers was the featured lecturer at the Signal Peak Campus.
Jane Weaver of Florence won a bronze
award in informative speaking at the Phi
Rho Pi Regional Forensics Tournament in
St. George, Utah.
A new summer program of enrichment
activities for elementary school children was
in the final planning stages through CAC’s
Office of Community Education and
Services. Kollege for Kids was conducted at
the Signal Peak Campus.
CAC’s NASA telescope
An accreditation team from the American
Medical Association evaluated and accredited Central Arizona College’s Paramedic
Training program.
The CACtus, CAC’s student newspaper,
won seven journalism awards at the Rocky
Mountain Collegiate Press Association con-
vention in Provo, Utah.
Gerald Collard, business professor, was
elected 1984-85 treasurer for the Arizona
Business Education Association.
University of Arizona basketball coach
Lute Olson was the featured speaker at
CAC’s annual Sports Awards Banquet.
Kris Weatherly of Casa Grande took first
in impromptu speaking, and CAC’s parliamentary procedures team finished third at
the 43rd Annual National Leadership
Conference of Phi Beta Lambda.
John Sowers, professor of journalism,
was selected as a recipient of the Associated
Press-Robert R. Eunson Alumni
Achievement Award in Journalism.
The governing board accepted a $7,000
donation from the CAC Foundation to purchase an $800,000 NASA telescope for use
at the Signal Peak Campus. The 24-inch telescope stands nine feet tall and weighs close
to eight tons.
Dr. Kathleen F. Arns of Morton Grove,
Ill., was named CAC’s next president.
Two decades old, CAC prepares for the 1990s
While CAC had cemented its foundation
in its first two decades, there was no
chance in halting its momentum at the end
of the 1980s.
The Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus,
hailed as “America’s original singing cowboys,” presented its unique blend of classical and contemporary choral music and
authentic rodeo trick roping at the Signal
Peak Campus.
A second nature trek to Death Valley
was created by Central Arizona College’s
Office of Community Education and
Services. The first trip to Death Valley was
filled in less than 30 minutes, and the popularity of the class allowed college officials
to offer a second trip.
Lori Salazar of Casa Grande and Curtis
Moss of Englewood, Calif., were selected
as queen and king,, respectively, of CAC’s
homecoming.
Arizona Governor Evan Meacham
signed a proclamation designating the
month of February as Community College
Month in Arizona.
CAC and the Los Angeles College of
Chiropractic announced an agreement to
offer the first two years of training for
LACC’s doctor of chiropractic at CAC.
Lucinda Crawford of Miami was named
1986 Outstanding Senior Citizen from Gila
County and Al Hamre of Arizona City was
named 1986 Outstanding Senior Citizen
from Pinal County at the 12th Annual
Senior Citizens Fair and Bazaar.
CAC sophomore Tammy Leikem, who
led the women’s basketball team to a fifthplace finish in the National Junior College
Women’s Basketball Championship
Tournament, was named to the 1987 Kodak
Women’s All-America Basketball Team.
Winkelman’s Diana Ortiz, a student at
the Aravaipa Campus, claimed two awards
at the annual Rocky Mountain Collegiate
Press Association Convention in Odessa,
Tex., for her outstanding effort in producing the Aravaipa Arrow - the student publication at the Aravaipa Campus.
More than 200 Pinal County high school
seniors who graduated in the top 20 percent
of their class were invited to accept scholarships to attend CAC.
D.J. O’Dell, professor and chair of the
business education division, was named
Teacher of the Year by the Arizona
Business Education Division.
Dean Merrell, professor of agriculture,
was named 1987 Agriculture Teacher of the
Year by the Arizona Vocational Agricultural
Teachers Association.
In his final season of competition for
CAC’s rodeo team, Toy Cordova of
Florence finished first at nationals and was
named “All-Around Cowboy.”
Lin Laursen and the Vaqueras
Page 5
40th Anniversary Celebration
Central Arizona College flourishes in the early 1990s
The early 1990s saw the transformation
of the Superstition Mountain Campus, the
birth of Elderhostel, and the lasting impact
that Phi Theta Kappa had on students
throughout Central Arizona College.
A unique cooperative venture between
CAC and the Ak-Chin Indian Community
resulted in a specialized education program
for workers at the nation’s first formal
EcoMuseum.
CAC reached a new Full-Time Student
Equivalency record of 3,000.
The CAC Governing Board appointed
Dr. John J. Klein, then vice president for
academic services, as acting president.
Delphia Anderson of Coolidge was elected president of the Pinal County Fine Arts
Council for 1990-91.
A Summer Readiness Program for high
school seniors, which was successfully testpiloted at the Signal Peak Campus, was
offered at the Apache Junction, Aravaipa
and Signal Peak campuses. The four-dayper-week program was geared toward
minority and academically-at-risk students.
An associate of arts degree program in
mass communications began in the fall of
1990.
CAC’s 12th Annual High School Welding
Contest was joined by the first Auto and
Diesel Mechanics Contest.
A new hospitality education program with
associate degrees and training certificates in
hotel and restaurant management began.
Bolstered by six first-place trophies, CAC
Phi Beta Lambda student business organization at the Aravaipa Campus racked up 15
awards in all and finished third at the State
PBL Leadership Conference. First-place
winners included Gilda Marquez and Tonya
Mercer of Mammoth, and Charlene Trejo of
San Manuel.
Always smiles at a CAC graduation ceremony
Page 6
Acting President John J.
Klein was named president
of CAC.
Rodney Bridges won the
100-meter dash and John
Montgomery captured the
110 high hurdles during the
NJCAA Division I National
Track & Field
Championships.
Jeff Cordova finished
second in the men’s allaround at the College
Early years of the Superstition Mountain Campus
National Rodeo Finals.
Central Arizona College’s dietetic educaSome 30 teachers from elementary
tion program received a 10-year accreditaschools in six west Pinal County communition for its outstanding work.
ties participated in Central Arizona
Laddie Toya of Central Arizona College
College’s Science Olympiad at the Signal
was named to the NJCAA All-America volPeak Campus.
leyball first team.
Robert L. Perea, Native American student
The CAC Governing Board authorized
advisor at the Signal Peak Campus, had a
the purchase of approximately 28.5 acres of
short story published in Circle of Motion, an
vacant land surrounding the Superstition
Arizona Anthology of Contemporary
Mountain Campus in Apache Junction.
American Indian Literature.
The property would be used to expand
District Five resident and CAC student
the campus at 273 East Old West Highway
Ginger L. Martin was crowned Miss
and is bordered on the west by Idaho Road,
O’odham Tash 1991-92 during ceremonies
on the south by Broadway Road, and to the
held in Casa Grande.
east by Winchester Road.
CAC’s renovations of the Apache
Dr. Jeff Ross, professor of English at the
Junction Campus increased square footage
Superstition Mountain Campus, presented a
to the location by 5,000 feet.
book discussion entitled Heroes, Heroines,
Members of the Central Arizona College
and Outlaws for the Sirrine House Historic
softball team celebrate their fifth NJCAA
Home Museum and the Arizona Humanities
National Championship.
Council.
Mike Candrea was selected as the recipiTerri Ackland, an instructor in the
ent of the Outstanding Community College
Cooperative Learning Center
Alumni Award in recognition of contribution
Communications Division, presented a
to self and community presented by the
paper on English as a Second Language at
Arizona State Community College Board
the AZ-TESOL Conference in April of 1994
and Central Arizona College in June 1992.
in Phoenix.
Shay Cardell, professor of engineering
Ackland presented On A Wing And A
technology at the Signal Peak Campus, was
Prayer: How One Community College Is
cited for her classroom work with the
Creating a New ESL Program.
HyperGraphics Educational System in the
Head softball coach Clint Myers was
Technological Horizons in Education
named the NJCAA National Coach of the
Journal.
Year in 1995.
Cass Foster, professor of drama and
Six CAC students were nominated to the
author, joined sister Linda F. Radke at
All-Arizona Community College Academic
author signings at two B. Dalton Bookseller
Team and the All-USA Academic Team.
locations in Phoenix.
They include Juanita Hyde of San Manuel
Foster is the author of Shakespeare for
and Deanna Mercado of Kearny (Aravaipa);
Children: The Story of Romeo and Juliet,
Michelle Hamilton of Apache Junction and
The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare: Romeo and
Garthea Clayton of Mesa (Superstition
Juliet, and Shakespeare: To Teach or Not to
Mountain); and Janet Burges of Casa
Teach, written with Lynn G. Johnson. Foster
Grande and Medorann Harris of Canada
retired from CAC in 2008.
(Signal Peak Campus).
40th Anniversary Celebration
CAC preps for boom as century closes
From the mid-to-late 1990s, the oncoming
boom of Arizona - especially the Greater
Phoenix Area – was massing along the horizon. CAC was preparing for that boom.
Professor of Engineering and Technology
Allen Elliott received $40,000 worth of
transmissions donated from Empire
Southwest for CAC.
Dean Merrell, an agricultural professor at
CAC, received one of 10 Cotton Growers
Awards for Outstanding Service to the
Cotton Industry from the Arizona Cotton
Growers Association.
CAC Arizona State Prison Center instructor Clarence Thielsen received a Meritorious
Service Award from the Arizona Department
of Corrections.
The CAC Foundation elected Charles
McHugh of Coolidge president at the annual
board of directors’ meeting. McHugh, a CAC
supporter since the 1960s, replaced the late
Judge Robert Bean, who had been foundation
president for 26 years.
Tom Simek was awarded Teacher of the
Year by the Correctional Education
Association of Arizona.
Santa Cruz Valley Union High School in
Eloy captured the Sweepstakes Trophy at
CAC’s 19th Annual Math Contest held on
the Signal Peak Campus.
The men’s track and field team won its
first NJCAA National Championship.
Percival Spencer and Johnny Love led the
way with two individual gold medals each.
Spencer won the 100- and 200-meter dash
events, while Love captured the 110-meter
high hurdles and 400-meter intermediate hurdles.
Intel Corporation offered 15 full scholarships to selected CAC students in the manufacturing electronics technology associate of
applied science degree program.
The Golden Key, Phi Theta Kappa’s international newsletter, announced that CAC
President Dr. John J. Klein had been named
PTK Presidential Ambassador for Arizona.
CAC men’s basketball star Jacque Collins
was named 1997 First Team NJCAA AllAmerica, while women’s basketball standout
Tiffany Green was named to the 1997
NJCAA All-America First Team and to the
Kodak All-American Team.
Casa Grande Union High School won the
team title at CAC’s 20th Annual High School
Math Contest at the Signal Peak Campus.
The late Dean Merrell, an agriculture pro-
fessor for more than 20 years until his death
in 1996, was honored posthumously by the
Arizona Vocational Association. Merrell was
named the AVA’s Distinguished Vocational
Educator of the Year.
CAC’s Health, Physical Education and
Recreation Division was renamed the Sports
and Fitness Division to reflect changes in
degree and university requirements.
The women’s basketball team won the
NJCAA National Championship, beating topranked Trinity Valley (Texas), the defending
national champion.
CAC’s second title of the year and 17th in
school history arrived when the women’s
track and field team - in just its second year won the championship behind Tanya Jarret
who repeated as national champion in the
400m and 400 intermediate hurdles.
The U.S. Department of Education awarded CAC a three-year grant totaling nearly $1
million. The grant - Preparing Tomorrow’s
Teachers to Use Technology – was designed
to 350 K-12 teachers to use computer-based
technology in their classrooms.
Craig Nicholson was named NJCAA
Softball Coach of the Year after his team
posted a 69-10 record and captured the
National Championship.
CAC professors John Irvine and Maria
Wise developed a three-credit course
designed to review the math concepts included on the AIMS test.
Long jumper Elva Goulbourne represented
Jamaica during the Olympics in Sydney,
Australia.
Lori Deveraux placed first in business
communications at the Future Business
Leaders of American National Competition.
Karen Ollerton (today Karen
Geldmacher), professor of agricultural sciences, was selected Arizona Collegiate
Agriculture Professor of the Year by the
Arizona Agriculture Teachers Association
(AATA).
Gloria Ann Guzman was appointed Pacific
Region representative for the Association of
Latino Community College Trustees.
Harvey Monte, a Vaquero centerfielder
and native of Holland, signed with the
Seattle Mariners.
CAC mass communications students
earned the prestigious Best in Television
award and eight other first-place honors from
the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Media
Association.
Accessibility fuels
growth at CAC
As the first decade of the new century begins to close, Central Arizona
College has already taken historic steps
into the future.
In November of 2008, voters of Pinal
County authorized the college to expand
educational opportunity and accessibility throughout Pinal County by approving a nearly $99 million general obligation bond.
This public stamp of approval will
allow CAC to build new campuses in
the San Tan Valley area and in the city
of Maricopa, while also upgrading its
facilities at the Signal Peak, Supersition
Mountain and Aravaipa campuses, as
well as the Casa Grande Center.
Expansion has been well underway at
CAC throughout the first decade of the
new millennimum. The Maricopa
Center, San Tan Center, SaddleBrooke
Center, and Corporate Center in Casa
Grande are examples of CAC responding to the growing needs of Pinal
County.
In October of 2005, the college dedicated the Gloria R. Sheldon University
Center with the goal of bringing university opportunities to the region.
CAC also welcomed its first class of
87 freshmen entering the institution
under the Promise for the Future
Scholarship Program. The program is
designed to encourage students to stay
in school, graduate, and then reach for a
college degree.
On July 1, 2007, Dennis Jenkins was
named president/CEO of Central
Arizona College. Jenkins brought more
than three decades of financial and managerial experience in the Pinal County
Community college District to the position.
With growth comes financial responsibility to the taxpayers of the county. In
each of the last seven years, CAC has
been able to lower its primary tax rate.
The college has been able to secure
millions of dollars in grants to help fund
new programs and expand opportunities
for students right here in Pinal County.
Page 7
Register for classes now at www.centralaz.edu
PERIODICAL
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 24592
COOLIDGE, AZ 85128
POSTAL CUSTOMER
8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85128
Congratulations!
Wall of Success
CAC Alumni Achievement
Award Recipients
Diane Beecroft
Marilynn E. Bianco
Patricia A. Bianco
Ellie M. Brown
Barry L. Bruner
Jorge Camarillo
Mike Candrea
Denise A. Cardenas
Ernest Feliz
Chuck Foster
Stella L. Garcia
Richard D. Gibson
Sylvia Gibson
Olivia B. Guerrero
Gerald A. Halfmann
Ben Hancock
Doug R. Jones
Wanda E. Kartchner
Ian M. Kinsler
Dennis R. Lassuy
Danny Lopez
Cherie H. McGlynn
Sylvia Mejia
Mike Morgan
Melanie O'Neil
William J. O'Neil
Tom A. Pagnozzi
Bridget Pettis
Tomás M. Piñon
Frank Pratt
Rosemary Ramirez
Rebecca Rios
Amy M. Stump
Marilyn Taylor Fleming
Carol F. Telles
Jesus D. Valle
Janna L. Vanderpool
Christopher L. Vasquez
Dora L. Vasquez
Garye L. Vasquez
Kristopher A. Weatherly
Jon Wente
Darrell E. Wilson
Ofelia Zepeda
Page 8
CAC unveils inaugural Wall of Success
Central Arizona College will induct its
inaugural Wall of Success selections on
Friday, Nov. 13, at the Signal Peak Campus
during a special evening banquet.
The Wall of Success will be a permanent
structure to display the names of students
who have received the Extraordinary
Alumni Achievement Award, an honor created to recognize the success of Central
Arizona College students.
The first group of honorees will be
inducted during the 40th Anniversary
Celebration of the opening of the Signal
Peak Campus that took place in the fall of
1969.
“The college community is proud to
have graduated tens of thousands of students while also serving hundreds of thousands more,” Doris Helmich, the vice president of student services, said.
Although the Wall of Success will be
one of the major components of the 40th
Anniversary, the program will become an
annual event designed to celebrate the
achievement and successes of CAC students. Nominations will be accepted
throughout the year on a rolling basis.
Anyone may nominate a candidate for
the Wall of Success. Former CAC students
are encouraged to self-nominate.
To be eligible for the Wall of Success,
candidates must have completed at least 15
credits at Central Arizona College. Some of
the criteria used to evaluate candidates
includes, but is not limited to volunteer
community service; professional, local,
regional, national or international recognition; public position(s) held; support of
CAC and its staff; and accomplishments in
field of expertise.
For more information of the
Extraordinary Achievement Award and
Wall of Success, or to receive a nomination
form, please contact Deseri Lopez by
phone at 520-494-5406 or by e-mail at
[email protected].
Central Arizona College Campuses and Educational Centers
Aravaipa Campus
80440 E. Aravaipa Road
Winkelman, AZ 85192
520-357-2800 or 866-869-6507
Corporate Center
540 N. Camino Mercado
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
520-494-6600
Signal Peak Campus
8470 N. Overfield Road
Coolidge, AZ 85128
520-494-5444 or 800-237-9814
Florence Center
P.O. Box 707
800 E. Butte Avenue
Florence, AZ 85132
520-494-6801
Superstition Mountain Campus
273 E. Old West Highway
Apache Junction, AZ 85119
480-677-7700
Casa Grande Center
1015 E. Florence Boulevard
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
520-494-5980
Coolidge Center
168 S. Main Street
Coolidge, AZ 85128
520-494-6700
District Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (M-F)
Maricopa Center
20800 N. John Wayne Parkway - Suite 104
Maricopa, AZ 85139
520-494-6400
SaddleBrooke Center (New!)
63701 E. Saddlebrooke Blvd, Suite T
SaddleBrooke, AZ 85739
520-825-4493
San Tan Center
The Shops at Copper Basin
2474 E. Hunt Highway, Suite 100
Queen Creek, AZ 85143
480-677-7825 or 520-494-6725
Central Arizona College Community Bulletin (USPS 24592) (Vol. 2 Issue 3) is published four times per year (January, April, July and October). The Central
Arizona College Community Bulletin is published by the staff of Central Arizona College, 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ 85128. Periodical postage
rates are paid at Coolidge, AZ and additional locations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Central Arizona College, c/o Marketing Department Room H101, 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ 85128.