Hartnell College is a public community college in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area lo ...

. Established in 1920 as Salinas Junior College, Hartnell is one of 115 schools that constitute the California Community Colleges, one of the three higher education systems in California. It enrolls nearly 10,000 students, 56% of whom are Latino, and the college is a Hispanic-serving institution. Its name commemorates William Hartnell (1798–1854), who founded the first junior college in California. Hartnell's main campus is located less than a mile west of downtown Salinas. It also has four satellite campuses, one in the Alisal district of Salinas one in King City and another in Soledad and another in Castroville.

History

Hartnell College was founded in 1920 as Salinas Junior College. It was renamed Hartnell College in 1948. The college moved to its current location on Central Avenue in 1936.

Academics

Hartnell College offers certificates and

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 ...

s at five campuses: Main Campus, Alisal (East Salinas), Castroville, Soledad, and King City. The main campus in South Salinas also includes a Disabled Students Services Center, admissions and records office, financial aid office, Student Union, cafeteria, a parking structure and a library. The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

The Western Stage

In 1974, Ron Danko established on campus The Western Stage, a professional theater organization with an educational mission. Initially a summer theatre festival, the Western Stage now produces an annual year-round season of plays, produces school tours, offers internships, and youth classes. The company's productions are part of the college's curriculum, though a separate foundation was established to support the Western Stage. In particular, the Western Stage is known for adapting the work of noted local author

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

to the stage, often in partnership with the nearby

National Steinbeck Center The National Steinbeck Center is a museum and memorial dedicated to the author John Steinbeck, located at the California State University, Monterey Bay#Other locations, California State University, Monterey Bay at Salinas City Center building at O ...

Notable alumni

Ernie Camacho (born February 1, 1955) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1980 to 1981 and 1983 to 1990.

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

, Pittsburg Pirates Cleveland Indians,

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals.

Greg Fields (American football) Gregory Keith Fields (born January 23, 1955) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). Early life and high school Fields was born and grew up in San ...

is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL).

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

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Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

(–)

Gallery

Hartnell College Planetarium.jpg, Hartnell College Planetarium exterior Hartnell College Planetarium 004.jpg,

Foucault pendulum The Foucault pendulum or Foucault's pendulum is a simple device named after French physicist Léon Foucault, conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the Earth's rotation. A long and heavy pendulum suspended from the high roof above a circular a ...

used for showing the Earth's rotation Hartnell College Planetarium 003.jpg, Hartnell College Planetarium interior Vertical-axis wind turbine at Hartnell College Alisal Campus.gk.webm,

Vertical-axis wind turbine A vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) is a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set transverse to the wind while the main components are located at the base of the turbine. This arrangement allows the generator and gearbox to be ...

at Hartnell College, Alisal Campus, Salinas, California

References

External links

Official website
{{Coord, 36, 40, 28, N, 121, 39, 59, W, region:US-CA_type:edu, display=title California Community Colleges Educational institutions established in 1920 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Education in Salinas, California Universities and colleges in Monterey County, California Buildings and structures in Salinas, California 1920 establishments in California