Wilkes Community College (WCC) is a public

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 ...

Wilkesboro, North Carolina Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro. ...

. It is part of the

North Carolina Community College System The North Carolina Community College System (System Office) is a statewide network of 58 public community colleges. The system enrolls over 500,000 students annually. It also provides the North Carolina Learning Object Repository as a central loc ...

and serves the people of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties, and beyond. The college is best known as the site of the annual MerleFest music festival. The college has a campus and 14 buildings. The student enrollment is typically around 3,500 students for curriculum, 900 for continuing education, and 1,600 for basic skills. It also has satellite campuses in nearby Ashe and Alleghany counties. WCC is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 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 priv ...

History

Wilkes Community College was founded in October 1964 by the North Carolina Board of Education. The first Board of Trustees was sworn into office on January 15, 1965, and classes were first held in August 1965. The student enrollment for the college's first year was 68. The college's campus originally covered 75

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ya ...

and included three buildings - Thompson, Hayes and Lovette halls. The first president of WCC was Dr. Howard Thompson, who served from March 5, 1965, to June 30, 1977. He was followed by Dr. David E. Daniel, July 1, 1977 to April 2, 1989; Dr. H. Edwin Beam, interim president, April 3, 1989 to July 16, 1989; Dr. James R. Randolph, July 17, 1989 to July 7, 1995; Dr. Swanson Richards, interim president, July 8, 1995 to February 29, 1996; Dr. Gordon G. Burns, Jr., March 3, 1996 to June 1, 2014; Morgan Francis, acting president, June 2, 2014 to June 30, 2014; and Dr. Jeffrey Alan Cox, the college’s current president who assumed duties on July 1, 2014.

MerleFest

In 1988 legendary,

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-winning guitarist

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

, WCC horticulture instructor B Townes, and local businessman and musician Bill Young started the MerleFest music festival on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Named in honor of Doc's late son

Merle Watson Eddy Merle Watson (February 8, 1949 – October 23, 1985) was an American folk and bluegrass guitarist. He was best known for his performances with his father, Doc Watson. Merle played and recorded albums together with his father from age 15 unti ...

, MerleFest has grown into one of the largest bluegrass and folk music festivals in the United States, drawing nearly 80,000 music fans each year. The festival has become the primary fundraiser for Wilkes Community College, and has brought national publicity to the college.

References

External links

* {{authority control Two-year colleges in the United States Vocational education in the United States North Carolina Community College System colleges Educational institutions established in 1964 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Education in Wilkes County, North Carolina Buildings and structures in Wilkes County, North Carolina 1964 establishments in North Carolina NJCAA athletics