Clark State College celebrates 60 years

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Clark State College this week continued celebrating its 60th anniversary with a festival on its Leffel Lane campus.

The celebration, held on Thursday behind the behind the Sara T. Landess building, was open to students, employees, retirees, alumni and the community.

Clark State College President Jo Alice Blondin said the college has seen a lot of change in its 60 years: educational milestones like the providing bachelor’s degrees and course offerings, the growth of community partnerships and job development.

“We’re very proud of the opportunities we provide students,” Blondin said.

The economic impact of Clark State on Champaign, Clark, Greene and Logan counties is in excess of $161 million dollars annually, according to the college.

The event included a variety of activities and outdoor games, including corn hole, volleyball and whiffle ball. Booths were set up with information from college organizations, and attendees also used a photo booth in the

In February, the college in a virtual event celebrated Charter Night, which nodded to the day in 1966 where the charter for the college was established to operate as a post-secondary institution in the region. The college’s “Diamond Celebration” for its 60th anniversary also kicked off this day.

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Clark State began in 1962 as the Springfield and Clark County Technical Education Program, but in 1966 the name changed to Clark County Technical Institute when it was chartered by the Ohio Board of Regents as the state’s first technical college. In 1972, the college’s name was changed to Clark Technical College, and in 1988 the name changed to Clark State Community College, according to the college.

Last year, the college dropped “community” from its name after it began offering bachelor’s degrees for manufacturing technology management and for web development and design.

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