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 sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...
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 s ...
in
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. Over three-fourths of the city limits is located in Gregg County, the remainder in Rusk County. The population was 12,975 at the 2010 census and 13,376 ...
. It has an annual enrollment in excess of 5,000 students and is accredited by the
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.
Th ...
. 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 co ...
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 le ...
, and as such, is home to th
East Texas Oil Museumwhich 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 h ...
. The Rangerettes began in 1940 under the direction of the late Gussie Nell Davis
Gussie Nell Davis 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 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 ar ...
, 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 school ...
*
Gilmer Independent School District
*
Gladewater Independent School District
*
Hallsville Independent School District
*
Henderson Independent School District
*
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 sc ...
*
Leverett's Chapel Independent School District
*
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 ...
*
Mount Enterprise Independent School District
*
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 Di ...
*
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 campu ...
*
Pine Tree Independent School District
*
Sabine Independent School District
*
Spring Hill Independent School District
*
Tatum Independent School District (except the part of the district that is located in
Panola County)
*
Union Grove Independent School District
*
West Rusk Independent School District
West Rusk County Consolidated Independent School District is a public school district based in New London, Texas, United States. In addition to New London, small portions of the town of Overton and Henderson are within the district.
There ...
*
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 ...
, 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, 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 t ...
, former professional American football player
*
John Hill, 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 ...
; 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 play ...
of the
NFL
*
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 i ...
, 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, incorpo ...
, currently competing in the
UFC
*
Dwayne Stovall;
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
business man and 2014
Republican 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 po ...
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
*
Marvin White, professional American football player
*
Demorrio Williams, 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 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 the year 1987. The regular season ...
*
Darren Woodard
Darren Lydell Woodard (born September 21, 1989) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football for Kilgore College from 2009-10, then played at UTEP. ...
, 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*
*
*
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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