Texarkana College history

Following legislation by the State of Texas in 1941, the Texarkana College District was established by an election of the taxpayers of the public school district and a tax rate of 20 cents per 100 dollars of assessed valuation was passed at the same time.

A $40,000 bond issue election passed in 1948 to buy land and finance construction of a new campus.

Twenty acres were purchased and construction of an administration buildings and gymnasium began in 1950.

In 1953, the College relocated to its present site on Robison Road with an enrollment of 589 students.

In 1957, the Texarkana Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to “divest itself of control, management and operation of the Texarkana Junior College District” and to create a separate nine-member Board of Trustees for Texarkana College.

Aikin then became Vice-President and served in this capacity until the resignation of Doctor Hinton in June, 1962.

Aikin was then made President and served until his death in September, 1963.

Aikin and served until March 1964, when Doctor J. W. Cady was elected as the fourth president of the college.

In 1971, Texarkana College joined forces with East Texas State University, now A&M Texarkana, in a unique cooperative venture that allowed Northeast Texas residents greater access to higher education.

In March, 1975, Doctor Cady resigned and Dean Levi Hall served as acting president until August, 1975, when the board selected Doctor Carl M. Nelson as President.

In 1976, Texarkana College deeded 3.8 acres (15,000 m) to ETSU to build an administration building.

In Fall 2000, the new business building was completed and named the W. P. Aikin Business and Computer Technology Building.

Doctor Alan Rasco was appointed by the College Board of Trustees in February, 2009, to serve as the College’s seventh president.

Doctor Rasco resigned in 2011 and James Henry Russell, CPA, was appointed president in June 2011.

In November 2012, Texarkana College held a successful annexation election to expand the college district to include the balance of Bowie County.

In 2014, due to legislative action and approval for restructuring, the TC Board of Trustees was reduced from nine members to seven members.