Phoenix College (PC) 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 ''Öffentlichk ...

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 se ...

in Encanto, Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1920, it is one of the oldest community colleges in the country.

History

The college was originally a part of the Phoenix Union High School and Junior College District (now

Phoenix Union High School District The Phoenix Union High School District is a High school (North America), high school-only school district in Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is one of five high school-only districts in the Phoenix area. Overview The schoo ...

), and was known as Phoenix Junior College (PJC). PC became a part of the

Maricopa County Community College District The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), also known as Maricopa Community Colleges, is a community college district in Arizona with its headquarters in Tempe. It is one of the largest, serving more than 220,000 students each yea ...

in 1960, and is now considered the

flagship campus A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the f ...

of one of the largest community college systems in the world.

Campus

Phoenix College consists of the main campus in Midtown Phoenix, as well as a

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

campus located in the central business district of Phoenix.

Academics

Phoenix College offers over 200 degree and certificate programs. PC also offers training geared towards professional community/business development and general interest. PC is also home of the Student Services Institute.

Athletics

Phoenix College has 7 sports teams competing in the

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

. The women's

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

team has won the NJCAA National Women's Softball Division II Championships nine times (2000, 2001, 2004-2008, 2012, 2021). The school has also won NJCAA championships in baseball (1960, 1962, 1965), men's track and field (1964, 1965, 1966), wrestling (1967–68, 1968–69), men's golf (1964), football (1964), and women's cross country (1985). In 1980 PC won national team championships in women's and mixed archery (two-year college division). Women's archery also won national titles in 1933 and 1934. The Maricopa Community College District elected in February 2018 to eliminate all football programs associated with its schools. Programs cut included those at Scottsdale Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College and Phoenix College's own program.

Notable people

Alumni

Alumni include two

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

s (

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – ...

and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

) and two Arizona governors (

Wesley Bolin Wesley Bolin (July 1, 1909 – March 4, 1978) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 15th governor of Arizona between 1977 and 1978. His five months in office mark the shortest term in office for any Arizona governor. Pri ...

and Jack Richard Williams). Other prominent alumni include film star Nick Nolte,

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

-winning actor Stephen Spinella, actor

Peter Billingsley Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971), also known as Peter Michaelsen and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen, is an American actor and filmmaker. His acting roles include Ralphie Parker in the 1983 movie '' A Christmas Story'' and its 2022 sequel ...

, daytime television star Jaime Lyn Bauer, Pop/Rhythm & Blues singer

CeCe Peniston Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (; born September 6, 1969) is an American singer and former beauty queen. In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song " Finally" r ...

, artist Eric Fischl, Mixed Martial artists UFC veteran Homer Moore,

AAGPBL The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

pioneer Charlotte Armstrong. Investigative journalist Ron Ridenhour, who exposed the

My Lai Massacre My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Marke ...

, attended Phoenix College before being drafted into military service in Vietnam in 1967. Politicians who attended the college include State Senator Juan Mendez and Democrat fund-raiser Ed Buck. Several former football players have played in the

National Football League 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 ma ...

including Fred Carr,

Bob Wallace Bob or Bobby Wallace may refer to: *Bobby Wallace (American football) (born 1954), college football coach at the University of North Alabama *Bobby Wallace (baseball) (1873–1960), Baseball Hall of Fame member *Bobby Wallace (footballer) (1908–19 ...

, Lyn Larsen, Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi,

Tory Nixon Torran Blake Nixon (born February 24, 1962 in Eugene, Oregon) is a former professional American football cornerback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at San Diego State University and ...

Andy Livingston Andy Livingston (born October 21, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played professionally for the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints. Early life Li ...

, and "Scooter" Molander.

Dennis Layton Dennis "Mo" Layton (born December 24, 1948) is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'1" point guard from USC, Layton played five seasons (1971–1974, 1976–1978) in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball ...

played for the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, 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 i ...

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

and John Smith toured with the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name '' Harlem'' because of ...

. Bears who have played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

include Gary Gentry and Dave Rajsich.

Faculty

John S. Goff John S. Goff (1931-2001) was a college professor who studied Robert Todd Lincoln and the history of Arizona. He was active in historical organizations. Personal Goff was born in Los Angeles, California, on June 20, 1931, to Samuel J. Goff and El ...

(1931-2001), studied Robert Todd Lincoln and the history of Arizona

References

External links

*
{{authority control 1920 establishments in Arizona Community colleges in Arizona Educational institutions established in 1920 Maricopa County Community College District Phoenix College NJCAA athletics