Lorain County Community College History

Lorain County Community College was granted a charter to serve Lorain County's higher education needs on July 15, 1963. In 1964, the citizens of Lorain County supported a 1.25 mil levy to provide funding for their college. That same year, the Lorain School of Technology was incorporated into LCCC, and the first classes were held in the summer in rented facilities. In its first fall of operation, 1,006 students registered for credit classes at LCCC.
 
In 1966, LCCC moved to its current location on North Abbe Road, in Elyria, making LCCC the first community college in Ohio to have a permanent campus. The campus opened with three buildings: Engineering Technologies, Mechanical Services, and Physical and Social Sciences. By the end of the fall semester, three more buildings were opened: Business, College Center and Physical Education.
  
In 1971, LCCC received full accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the highest-ranking accrediting association of higher education institutions.
  
The Health Sciences building was opened in 1972, the Learning Resources Center in 1975 and the Physical Plant Services building was completed in 1976. LCCC opened its Stocker Humanities and Fine Arts Center in 1980, and the Nord Advanced Technologies Center in 1984. The Mabel L. Ewing Activities Center was completed in 1988, and the John A. Spitzer Conference Center opened in 1995. The University Center opened in 1998. The Patsie C. Campana, Sr. Engineering and Development Center opened in 2001 and the Barbara and Mike Bass Library/Community Resource Center opened in 2008.
  
The LCCC District Board of Trustees has governed the college since its inception. In 1963, the Lorain County Commissioners appointed seven trustees to the board. Today, nine members serve on the board, with six being appointed by the commissioners and three by the governor of Ohio.
  
LCCC's first president was Max J. Lerner, who served from 1964 to 1971. Lerner was followed by Omar L. Olson (1971-1986), and Richard R. Mellott, who served in an interim capacity from 1986 to 1987. Roy A. Church, the College's current and fourth president, started at LCCC in 1987.
  
Today, over 14,000 students enroll each term in LCCC credit programs and another 3,000 enroll in bachelor's and master's programs through the University Partnership. Nearly 4,000 more attend in non-credit continuing education programs each term and thousands more are here each year to take advantage of other educational, cultural and enrichment programs held on campus.
  
The support of the county has been instrumental in allowing LCCC to prosper. In addition to approving the first levy for funding in 1964, Lorain County residents have continued to show their support for the college by renewing the original levy in 1972 and in 1982, and by favoring a 1.2 million replacement levy in 1992. In 1995, county residents voted for a 1.2 mill levy to establish the University Partnership at LCCC. In 2010, residents again showed their support by approving a 1.8 mill replacement levy for the college.
  
Since opening its doors, LCCC has served more than 300,000 people.  The average age of an LCCC degree-seeking student is 27; 66 percent are women; 69 percent are enrolled in programs that provide them with skills for immediate employment; 31 percent are enrolled in programs that lead to transfer into bachelor's degree programs; and 73 percent are employed.
  
Over six million students enroll annually in credit courses at America's community colleges, representing about 46 percent of all students in higher education and about 56 percent of all first-time college entrants.

For more information about Lorain County Community College, call (800) 995-LCCC (5222), e-mail info@lorainccc.edu, or write:

Lorain County Community College
1005 North Abbe Road
Elyria, OH 44035