Phoenix College is a community college

Community college

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

 located in Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

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

It was originally a part of the Phoenix Union High School and Junior College District and was known as Phoenix Junior College (PJC).

PC became a part of the Maricopa County Community College District

Maricopa County Community College District

The Maricopa County Community College District, in Maricopa County, Arizona, is the largest community college district in the United States. The district serves Maricopa County, the county that includes and surrounds Phoenix and is the most populous of the state's counties...

 in 1960, and is now considered the flagship campus of one of the largest community college systems in the world. Phoenix College consists of the main campus in Midtown Phoenix, as well as a downtown

Downtown Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is the central business district of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is located near the geographic center of the Phoenix metropolitan area or Valley of the Sun. Phoenix, being the county seat of Maricopa County and the capital of Arizona, serves as the center of politics,...

 campus located in the central business district of Phoenix. 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.

Phoenix College has 14 sports teams competing in the NJCAA

National Junior College Athletic Association

The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...

. The women's softball

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

 team has won the NJCAA National Women's Softball Division II Championships six times from 2001 - 2008. 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.

Many PC alumni have gone on to local and national prominence with successful careers in the arts, business, government, medical, and legal professions. Distinguished alumni include mayors, state senators, Native American tribal leaders, publishers, business executives, two Miss America

Miss America

The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...

s (1949

Jacque Mercer

Jacque Mercer from Litchfield, Arizona, was Miss America in 1949. She is mentioned several times in the 1997 Philip Roth novel, American Pastoral.-References:*...

 and 1964

Vonda Kay Van Dyke

Vonda Kay Van Dyke was crowned the 1965 Miss America on September 13, 1964. Earlier in the year, she had taken a break as a 21-year-old junior at Arizona State University to become Miss Arizona. She is unique among pageant winners in that she was and still is the only Miss America who was also...

) and two Arizona governors (Wesley Bolin

Wesley Bolin

Wesley Bolin was a Democratic Party politician who served as the 15th governor of the U.S. state of Arizona between 1977 and 1978. His five months in office mark the shortest term in office for any Arizona governor....

 and Jack Richard Williams

Jack Richard Williams

John Richard Williams , a dedicated political conservative, was a radio announcer, advertising writer, mayor of Phoenix, and the 13th governor of Arizona...

). Other prominent alumni include film star Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte

Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...

, Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

-winning actor Stephen Spinella, actor Peter Billingsley

Peter Billingsley

Peter Billingsley , also known as Peter Michaelsen and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen, is an American actor, director, and producer best known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story. He began his career as an infant, in television commercials.-Early life, family and...

, daytime television star Jaime Lyn Bauer

Jaime Lyn Bauer

Jaime Lyn Bauer is an American soap opera actress.The one time Miss Phoenix beauty contest winner is best known for her two long-running soap roles: Lorie Brooks on The Young and the Restless, which she played from 1973 to 1982 with reprises in 1984 and 2002, and Dr...

, Pop/Rhythm & Blues singer CeCe Peniston

CeCe Peniston

CeCe Peniston is an African American recording artist and former beauty queen. At the beginning of the nineties, she was considered to be one of the most successful dance club artists in the history of the U.S...

, artist Eric Fischl

Eric Fischl

Eric Fischl is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker.-Early life:Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on suburban Long Island; his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1967...

, and AAGPBL

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...

 pioneer Charlotte Armstrong

Charlotte Armstrong

Charlotte Armstrong Lewi was an American author. Under the names Charlotte Armstrong and Jo Valentine she wrote 29 novels, as well as working for the New York Times advertising department, as a fashion reporter for Breath of the Avenue , and in an accounting firm.Armstrong Lewi graduated from Vulcan...

. Investigative journalist Ron Ridenhour

Ronald Ridenhour

Ronald Lee Ridenhour , a young GI who served in the 11th Infantry Brigade during the Vietnam War, played a central role in spurring the investigation of the My Lai Massacre. -Life:...

, who exposed the My Lai Massacre

My Lai Massacre

The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...

, attended Phoenix College before being drafted into military service in Vietnam in 1967.

Several former football players have played in the National Football League including Fred Carr, Bob Wallace

Bob Wallace

Bob Wallace , was the ninth Microsoft employee, first popular user of the term shareware, creator of the word processing program PC-Write, founder of the software company Quicksoft and an "online drug guru" who devoted much time and money into the research of psychedelic drugs...

, Eugene Jackson

Eugene Jackson

Eugene W. Jackson, II was an American former child actor who was a regular of the Our Gang short series during the silent Pathé era.-Career:...

, , Lyn Larsen

Lyn Larsen

Lynette Ann Larsen is a former Australian woman cricketer. She was captain of the Australian women's cricket team from 1985/6 to 1993. She captained the side in 10 Test matches, including 5 victories...

, Tory Nixon

Tory Nixon

Torran Blake Nixon 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 was drafted in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins....

, and "Scooter" Molander. Dennis Layton played for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns and John Smith toured with the Harlem Globetrotter. Bears who have played Major League Baseball include Donnie Lee, Gary Gentry

Gary Gentry

Gary Edward Gentry , is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who played seven seasons for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves between 1969 and 1975....

, and Dave Rajsich

Dave Rajsich

David Christopher Rajsich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1978 to 1980 for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. He also played one season in Japan for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in 1984...

.

External links

• Official website