Kilgore College (KC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

Kilgore, Texas Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United Sta ...

. It has an annual enrollment in excess of 5,000 students and is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priva ...

to award the

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

. The college was established in 1935 at the height of the

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that comprises most of 41 counties. It is primarily divided into Northeast and Southeast Texas. Most of the region consi ...

oil boom An oil boom is a period of large inflow of income as a result of high global oil prices or large oil production in an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economic benefits, in terms of increased GDP growth, but might later lead ...

, and as such, is home to th
East Texas Oil Museum
which houses a large collection of memorabilia documenting this period of

Texas history The recorded history of Texas begins with the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors in the region of North America now known as Texas in 1519, who found the region occupied by numerous Native American tribes. The name ''Texas'' derives ...

. It is also famous for having the first ever dance-drill team, the

Kilgore College Rangerettes The Kilgore College Rangerettes, also known simply as the Rangerettes, are an American precision dance team from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas, created by Gussie Nell Davis in 1939. The Rangerettes have performed in 71 Cotton Bowl game ha ...

. The Rangerettes began in 1940 under the direction of the late Gussie Nell Davis

Gussie Nell Davis Gussie Nell Davis (November 4, 1906 – December 21, 1993) was an American teacher best known as the founder of the Kilgore College Rangerettes, who in September 1940 became the first all-girls drill team to perform on a college football field with ...

as a first-of-their kind and have spurred a multi-billion dollar dance team industry.

Academics

In addition to preparing students for undergraduate degrees that are completed at 4-year colleges and universities, KC's programs also include continuing education, medical training and short-term and long-term workforce training. The college offers

Associate in Arts An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...

and

Associate in Applied Science An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

degrees, as well as tech prep and certificate programs including welding, corrosion technology, process technology, surgical technology, pharmacy technology and much more.

Texas Shakespeare Festival

In June 1986, the Texas Shakespeare Festival opened its inaugural season at Kilgore College; the festival has called KC home for what will be 38 summers in 2023. The college provides financial support and facilities for the festival, which is a vital cultural asset for all of East Texas.

College service area

As defined by the

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...

, the official service area of KC includes territory within the following school districts: * Big Sandy Independent School District *

Carlisle Independent School District Carlisle Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Price, Texas ( USA). The district is located in west central Rusk County and extends into a small portion of Cherokee County. Carlisle ISD has one schoo ...

Gilmer Independent School District Gilmer Independent School District is a 4A public school district based in Gilmer, in the U.S. state of Texas. The district is located in central Upshur County and extends into a small portion of southern Camp County. In 2022, the school di ...

* Gladewater Independent School District *

Hallsville Independent School District Hallsville Independent School District is a public school district based in Hallsville, Texas (USA). In addition to Hallsville, the district serves a small portion of Longview as well as rural areas in western Harrison County. In 2009, the sc ...

Henderson Independent School District Henderson Independent School District is a public school district based in Henderson, Texas ( USA). HISD is the largest school district in Rusk County. Current enrollment is 3,365 students and the district employees just over 600 teachers, administ ...

Kilgore Independent School District Kilgore Independent School District is a public school district based in Kilgore, Texas (USA). In addition to the city of Kilgore, the district serves rural areas in southern Gregg and northern Rusk counties. The district-wide dropout rate was r ...

Laneville Independent School District Laneville Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Laneville, Texas (USA). Laneville ISD has one school, Laneville School that serves students in grades Pre-Kindergarten though twelve. In 2009, the sch ...

Leverett's Chapel Independent School District Leverett's Chapel Independent School District is a public school district located in northwestern Rusk County, Texas that serves the unincorporated communities of Leverett's Chapel and Laird Hill. In 2017 it founded its academic rodeo team , ...

Longview Independent School District Longview Independent School District is a public 5A school district based in Longview, Texas (USA). In addition to serving most of Longview, the district serves the city of Lakeport, most of Easton, a very small portion of East Mountain, and r ...

Mount Enterprise Independent School District Mount Enterprise Independent School District is a public school district based in Mount Enterprise, Texas (USA). The district serves Mount Enterprise and portions of unincorporated Rusk County. There is one campus in Mount Enterprise ISD - it s ...

New Diana Independent School District New Diana Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Diana, Texas (USA). The district is located in eastern Upshur County and extends into a small portion of northwestern Harrison County. Schools New Dia ...

Overton Independent School District Overton Independent School District is a public school district based in Overton, Texas (USA). In addition to the immediate Overton vicinity, the district serves rural areas in eastern Smith and western Rusk counties. There are three campus ...

Pine Tree Independent School District Pine Tree Independent School District is a public school district based in Longview, Texas in the United States. Pine Tree ISD serves western portions of Longview, including areas that were once Greggton, and small section of the neighboring ...

Sabine Independent School District Sabine Independent School District is a public school district based in the community of Liberty City, Texas (USA). The district also serves a small portion of the nearby town of Kilgore. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically ac ...

* Spring Hill Independent School District *

Tatum Independent School District Tatum Independent School District is a public school district based in Tatum, Texas, Tatum, Texas (United States, USA). In addition to Tatum, the district serves rural areas in northeastern Rusk County, Texas, Rusk and northwestern Panola County, ...

(except the part of the district that is located in Panola County) * Union Grove Independent School District * West Rusk Independent School District * White Oak Independent School District

Notable alumni

Lyle Alzado Lyle Martin Alzado (April 3, 1949 – May 14, 1992) was an American professional All Pro football defensive end of the National Football League (NFL), famous for his intense and intimidating style of play. Alzado played 15 seasons, splitting hi ...

, former professional All Pro NFL football player *

Rodney Carrington Rodney Scott Carrington (born October 19, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, country music artist and songwriter. He has released six major-label studio albums and a greatest hits package, on Mercury Records and Capitol Records. His co ...

, comedian *

Ricardo Colclough Ricardo Sanchez Colclough ( ; born September 26, 1983) is a former Canadian football cornerback and linebacker in the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played co ...

, former professional American football player * Ricky Collins, current CFL wide receiver * Jorge Diaz, former professional American football player *

Francisco Elson Francisco Marinho Robby Elson (born February 28, 1976, in Rotterdam) is a Dutch retired professional basketball player. Elson was the seventh Dutch player to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elson served as the captain of the Ne ...

, professional basketball player *

Kevin Everett Kevin Everett (born February 5, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at th ...

, former professional American football player *

John Hill John Hill may refer to: Business * John Henry Hill (1791–1882), American businessman, educator and missionary * John Hill (planter) (1824–1910), Scottish-born American industrialist and planter * John Hill (businessman) (1847–1926), Austral ...

, former Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court *

Lane Johnson David Lane Johnson (born May 8, 1990) is an American football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles fourth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ok ...

; current professional American football player;

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

of the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts ...

, former American football player; professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

, currently competing in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Dwayne Stovall Dwayne or Dewayne is a traditionally male name. It is Gaelic in origin, deriving from the Irish saint Dubhán. History St. Dubhán was an Irish monk who established an abbey in Hook Head, Ireland during the 5th century. As a surname it is O'Dubh ...

;

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

business man and 2014

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

candidate for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

against incumbent

John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...

. * Marcus Thornton, professional basketball player,

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

Marvin White Marvin L. White (born December 5, 1983 in Port Barre, Louisiana) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kilgore College from 2003- ...

, professional American football player *

Demorrio Williams Demorrio Dwain Williams (born July 6, 1980) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kilgore College for two years, then played at Ne ...

, professional American football player * Jason Williams, current professional basketball player for

Chorale Roanne Basket Chorale Roanne Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in Roanne, France. The club plays in the first division LNB Pro A. Their home arena is Halle André Vacheresse. The club was founded in 1937 and the team's colors are blue an ...

of the

LNB Pro B The LNB Pro B, commonly known as Pro B, is the French basketball league system, 2nd-tier level men's professional basketball league in France. It is the second division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), which has organized the league since t ...

* Darren Woodard, former professional American football player * LeJuandro 'Kai' Zeiglar an American football player in the now defunct

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

Kilgore College gallery

Image:Kilgore College welcoming sign IMG 5915.JPG, Welcome Sign Image:Kilgore College May 2016 06 (Old Main Building).jpg, Old Main Image:Kilgore College Student Center IMG_5914.JPG, Student Center Image:Randolph C.Watson Library, Kilgore College IMG_5904.JPG, Randolph C. Watson Library Image:Masters Gymnasium at Kilgore College IMG_5910.JPG, Masters Gymnasium Image:Kilgore College May 2016 12 (Gussie Nell Davis Rangerette Residence).jpg, Gussie Nell Davis Rangerette Residence Image:East Texas Oil Museum building, Kilgore, TX IMG_5900.JPG, East Texas Oil Museum (established 1979) is located on the Kilgore College campus. Image:Kilgore College Longview IMG 4002.JPG, Kilgore College operates a branch campus in nearby Longview.

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{authority control Two-year colleges in Texas Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Community colleges in Texas Education in Gregg County, Texas Education in Rusk County, Texas Buildings and structures in Gregg County, Texas Tourist attractions in Gregg County, Texas Educational institutions established in 1935 1935 establishments in Texas NJCAA athletics