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Oakland Community College

Auburn Hills, MI

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About Oakland Community College

Oakland Community College: Transforming unique spaces into vibrant learning environments since 1965.

Oakland Community College (OCC) emerged from a vital need for accessible local higher education in the early 1960s, championed by dedicated citizens and decisively approved by Oakland County voters. This bold community initiative paved the way for a college designed to meet the growing educational demands of the region.

OCC's foundation is rooted in a truly pioneering spirit, marked by the innovative conversion of unconventional sites into its foundational campuses. Imagine learning within the walls of a former Nike missile base, which became the Pontiac Township (now Auburn Hills) campus, or attending classes in a repurposed Oakland County Tuberculosis Sanitarium, which transformed into the Waterford campus. These remarkable transformations were completed to welcome the first students by September 1965.

This unique origin story quickly established OCC as a resourceful and accessible educational hub, demonstrating a profound commitment to repurposing infrastructure and fostering innovation to serve its community's learning needs. While the provided details emphasize its history and establishment, OCC's beginnings underscore a dedication to providing essential college opportunities and a distinctive student experience shaped by its remarkable origins.

Key Highlights

  • ✦Established by Oakland County voters after successful referendums in June 1964.
  • ✦Opened its doors to its first students in September 1965.
  • ✦Pioneered the conversion of a disused Nike missile base into its Auburn Hills campus.
  • ✦Transformed a former Oakland County Tuberculosis Sanitarium into its Waterford campus.
  • ✦The initial Nike missile base site was acquired for $247,000.

Timeline

1960
An advisory council publishes a report calling for five community colleges across a six-county region.
1962
An Oakland County commission recommends the construction of three campuses across the county.
1963
Voters approve the establishment of OCC and a board of trustees, but reject the funding tax.
1964
Voters approve OCC establishment, the board of trustees, and the college's funding tax.
1964
The newly established Board of Trustees acquires three campus sites.
1964
John Tirrell is hired as OCC's first president.
1965
Renovations to the initial campuses, including a former Nike missile base and a tuberculosis sanitarium, are completed.
1965
Oakland Community College welcomes its first students in September.

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