Angelina College

Angelina College, a two-year institution in south Lufkin, Angelina County, opened in the fall of 1968. It is a vocational and academic college under both state and local jurisdiction that began as a project of the Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1960s the chamber appointed a steering committee whose purpose was to gain support from area individuals, business, and industry for the construction of a two-year public community college. The efforts of this committee resulted in the Angelina County Junior College District, the sale of bonds for building purposes, a maintenance tax, and a seven-member board of trustees. In its first semester the college enrolled 660 students in both credit and noncredit programs.

Fifty-five percent of Angelina College students come from the school's tax district. The remainder list permanent residences in many Texas counties and many states. As the student population has increased, the percentage of students living within the college tax district has declined; the demand for Angelina College's educational programs has expanded beyond the boundaries of the district. Jack W. Hudgins, original president of the college, retired in 1991 and was succeeded by Larry M. Phillips, who was still president in 2001. On October 26, 1969, the gymnasium was dedicated. At that time, the president of the board of trustees was Oscar Brookshire, a prominent East Texas grocer (see BROOKSHIRE GROCERY COMPANY).