Dr. Thurman Brock was a part of Craven Community College's story from the very beginning. His first day on the job was Aug. 15, 1961 as the inaugural Director of Vocational Education for Craven County Schools. He went on to become the College's first president, serving April 23, 1968–December 31, 1989.
To help preserve his institutional knowledge from those early years, Dr. Brock wrote an 18-part history of the College in 1984-85 for the school newspaper, "The Panther."
During the fall quarter meeting of the College Board of Trustees, an enrollment of 1,485 representing a slight enrollment increase for 1978 was reported by Dr. Michael Henderson, Dean of the College.
At this meeting, plans for the construction of the Learning Resources Center were discussed. Representatives of the Economics Development Administration were on campus Oct. 18, 1978, to looking at our facilities prior to making a decision in regard to funding this project for the College. Funding for this project was forthcoming but only after a long and hard struggle.
The Atlanta office had denied our request for funding, so we went directly to the Washington D.C., office with an appeal to fund this much need project. Major Lee Morgan of New Bern and (at that time) Commissioner John Willis of Craven County gave valuable support for this project. Rep. Walter B. Jones and the State EDA Director Dale Jones joined in our struggle to secure funding. We did succeed in securing $600,000 from EDA, and the project bids were meeting Aug. 28, 1979. Also, Sen. D. L. Stallings had assisted us in obtaining a commitment from Governor James B. Hunt for $175,000 in Coastal Plains Commission funds to match the EDA grant.
The total cost for the LRC was $1,465,000, funded as follows: $600,000 from EDA; $270,000 from the State Board of Education; $270,000 in county funds; $175,000 in Coastal Plains Commission funds; and $15,000 in equipment funds. The $270,000 in county funds actually came from a reserve account the College had saved over the years from its county operational budget. However, for an investment of only $270,000 in county funds, the College was able to secure $1,195,000 for construction of this new building on campus.
Many Helped Secure Funds
I offer my personal thanks for the many words of support for this project by Rep. Walter B. Jones, Mayor Lee Morgan, Dale Jones, and Commissioner John Willis. Without their support, we simply would not have received EDA grant, which was a must for our College to retain its accreditation status.
Finally, Dr. Braughan Taylor, Director of Development for the College, organized and effective letter writing campaign among local community leaders and business and industrial which was a tremendous success in prompting the EDA Office in Washington, D.C. to take a second look at our request. Dr. Taylor played a key leadership role in our total efforts to make this project a reality and to him I will always be grateful.
Russ Sutton was employed April 1, 1979, as the College Business Manager. He replace Jim Wrenn, who had passed away earlier. Mr. Sutton had been director of Havelock-Cherry Point Center since 1974, and prior to that, he had worked part time as evening director at the College.
Dr. Charles Barker served as Chairman of the College Board of Trustees from July 1977 through July 1979. He was followed by James F. Gavin, who served from 1979 through 1981. Governor James Hunt had assumed office replacing James Holshouser in January 1977.
In 1979, the College campus was incorporated into the city limits of New Bern. Several meetings of the Board of Aldermen were necessary to accomplish this goal. The purpose of the incorporation was to seek better police protection on campus and for better security at night and on weekends. A feasibility study was done by a committee of college employees Vi Berteaux, Jonathan Pharr, Mickey Spillane, Edna Barrett, and Steve Furimsky, chairman.
The report told the Board of Trustees that total savings were modest through the incorporation but the primary into the City of New Bern. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to seek annexation upon a motion by Evelyn Haire. Trustee Kathleen Orringer’s motion commending the committed was also passed.
On April 17,1979, the College Board voted to support the establishment of a separate state board for the community college system. This was the topic of discussion for a number of years. However, as time progressed, a support for a separate state board had been growing. Craven Community College now joined a long list of other institutions in support board concept.
Many things were happening during the period 1978-1980. In addition to a new LRC Building under construction and the incorporation of the New Bern campus into the city limits, there were other activities taking place. A new roof on Building B was completed and a certificate of compliance was signed to assure the federal government that the thermostats would be set at an uncomfortably low temperature in the winter and an uncomfortably high temperature in the summer. (Do you remember those days?)
The College agreed to voluntarily reduce spending of state funds to compensate for a loss in anticipated state revenue, and the Board approved the use of the Board Room by the Business Office due to limited on campus-space.
Craven Community College joined the New Bern-Craven County Chamber of Commerce in January 1980. The State Board of Colleges was created in 1980 with Mr. Lynn Kelso becoming a charter member. Plans to build a public radio station on campus were begun, and new curriculum programs in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, general occupational technology, and air conditioning-refrigeration technology were approved.
It was also a time when some very special friends of the College were to leave us. Our Business Manage Mr. Jim Wrenn died Nov. 26,1978 and Sen. D. L. Stallings died December 20,1978. In 1979, Rep. Joe Bright of Vanceboro passed away and retired County School Superintendent Robert L. Pugh died. The Board of Trustees honored all these individuals with appropriate resolutions at meetings in 1979 and 1980.
This period in time for the College was challenging experience. Limited facilities and reduction in operational funds from the state level made the task of proving education to a steadily increasing enrollment most difficult. However, the College was doing an outstanding job for the county, and the dedication of the faculty, staff, and trustees made the job more pleasant.