Cowley College
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| Established | 1922 |
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| President | Dennis Rittle |
| Location |
Arkansas City, Kansas, US 37°3′39″N 97°02′33″W / 37.06083°N 97.04250°WCoordinates: 37°3′39″N 97°02′33″W / 37.06083°N 97.04250°W |
| Colors | Black and Orange |
| Website | www |
Cowley College is a two-year college located in Arkansas City, Kansas, United States. It also operates locations in nearby Winfield, Mulvane, and downtown Wichita. In addition to a robust online presence the college offers on-site courses at nine area high schools. Cowley College is accredited by the NCA's Higher Learning Commission.
Cowley College held its first classes on Sept. 11, 1922. At this point, it was known as the Arkansas City Junior College (ACJC), and, like most junior colleges of the time, operated under the directorship of the local school district. Classes were held on the top floor of the Arkansas City High School, but were soon relocated to the basement, earning it the nickname "Basement University." In 1936, a combination auditorium-gymnasium was constructed, and in 1952, ACJC held its first classes in a dedicated college building.
During the mid-1960s, ACJC began a process of name changes in an attempt to keep current with state legislation designed to spur growth of junior colleges and vocational schools in Kansas. After no less than two revisions, in 1965, it was given the name Cowley County Community College and Vocational-Technical School, which was commonly abbreviated CCCC.
In 1967, the citizens of Cowley County elected a six-member Board of Trustees for CCCC, and on July 1, it assumed control of college operations. The new Board appointed Dr. Paul Johnson as the first president of the college. Johnson had been the dean of the college under the school board's direction. The county continues to elect members to the Board of Trustees in four-year terms.
In March 1968, Johnson died. He was succeeded on an interim basis by William S. Scott until the end of June. On July 1, 1968, Dr. Gwendel A. "Gwen" Nelson was appointed president of the college by the Board of Trustees. Immediately, Nelson began a far-reaching program of expansion and upgrades. When he arrived at the college, it owned no property (the land on which the buildings stood was rented from the school district), and its program offerings were limited. During his tenure, which lasted until 1987, Nelson would be instrumental in land negotiations with the school board, resulting in the college's ownership of all of its main campus and the adjacent old high school. His leadership resulted in great expansion of academic programs, including upgrading the vocational school into a state-of-the-art facility, and he would oversee the construction of six new buildings, including the college's first dormitories.
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