Our History

West Kentucky Community and Technical College is a powerful example of what a successful postsecondary institution must be in the 21st century. Our comprehensive college arose from the foundations of two remarkable institutions – Paducah Community College and West Kentucky Technical College.

West Kentucky Technical College was founded in 1909 by Dr. Dennis Henry Anderson as West Kentucky Industrial College. The first building was located at what is now 1400 H. C. Mathis Drive. West Kentucky Industrial College became a state-supported junior college in 1918.

In 1932, the citizens of Paducah and McCracken County embarked on a mission to provide quality education in a municipally supported junior college, known as Paducah Junior College (PJC). PJC was founded as a private, non-profit junior college in the former YMCA building at 707 Broadway. Reverend U. R. Bell was PJC’s first president.

Meanwhile in 1938, West Kentucky Industrial College’s teaching program merged with West Kentucky State College in Frankfort. The college became known as the West Kentucky Vocational School and more vocational training programs were added to the school’s offerings. M. H. Griffin was the school’s first president.

In 1967, PJC joined the University of Kentucky community college system becoming a “new” college – Paducah Community College. R. G. “Dean” Matheson retired and Dr. Donald J. Clemens becomes the new PCC president, overseeing the construction of the Learning Resource Center and the Student & Fine Arts Centers.

Over the years, there have been many changes in both colleges, including changes in the focus of academic programs, changes of college names, changes of college campus locations and change of governance. In 1997, the two colleges were united under one system umbrella when they joined the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) as a result of the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997.

Collaboration grew among the two colleges until an effort to consolidate into one seamless institution was born. In 2003, Dr. Barbara Veazey was inaugurated as the first president of West Kentucky Community and Technical College. In December 2011, WKCTC was named one of the top 5 community colleges in the nation by The Aspen Institute.

Each year more than 9,000 students come to West Kentucky Community and Technical College seeking traditional two-year transfer associate degrees in arts, science, fine arts and applied science degrees, diplomas or certificates.

WKCTC is governed by the KCTCS Board of Regents and derives its support largely from student tuition and legislative appropriations.

Contact the Archives & Special Collections at Matheson Library to learn more about the college’s history.

For information about WKCTC please contact our Office of Marketing and Communication.