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."
This is the finial article in this series. I will cover the time period between 1985 through December 1989. Dr. Charles T. Barker began his second term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees in July 1985. He is the only Board Member to serve more than one two-year term as a chairman.
Since this is my final article on the history of the College, I want to pay a special tribute to the two remaining charter members of the Board. Mr. Charles T. Denham and Dr. Charles T. Barker share this distinction. They were both elected by the Craven County Board of Commissioners in 1967 and have subsequently been re-elected through the period that the College has been in operation. Both men have served the College well and have been very supportive of me, to which I am most grateful. These two men have both served as Board Chairman and also chaired many committees during this time. Therefore, I wish to say a special word of thanks to Mr. Denham and Mr. Barker—Craven is a better college because of your service and devotion to the total college and to all its programs and services.
Craven Community College has been very fortunate to have had other outstanding men and women to serve as Trustees. They truly made my job easier and therefore our students were the real beneficiaries of their leadership. It was rare to have a trustee promote his or her special interests—indeed they all place the best interests of the College first in all their decisions. To all past and present trustees, I say thanks for being my friend and, best of all, a true friend of Craven Community College.
Let’s now move to other areas of interest. During this time period, the basketball, tennis, and golf programs began under the leadership of Philip Evancho, and two new buildings were placed under contract on the New Bern campus. The concurrent enrollment of high school students was approved by the College Board in 1985. We know it today as the Step Ahead program. Thanks to Dr. Ben Quinn, former Superintendent of the New Bern-Craven County Schools, for helping make this program a reality.
The College reaffirmed as an accredited college by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in December 1986. The meeting was held in Atlanta, Georgia, and accompanying me on this trip were faculty members Mrs. Jane Atkinson and Mrs. Betty Quinn. Dr. Redd had planned to attend but had to decline due to illness.
On June 1, 1987, Mr. Bob Myers became Dean of Arts and Science at the College. He had previously served as Dean of Industrial Technologies since August 1, 1983. Ms. Louvenia Brown was promoted to Bookkeeper effective January 1, 1987. She had served the College as an accounting clerk since 1981. Mrs. Donna Durham became our Mechanical Drafting and Design Instructor on November 1, 1986. Mrs. Diane Tyndall began December 1, 1985, as the College’s full-time public information officer. Mrs. Pam Banks assumed the position of College Controller on November 16, 1986. She had previously served in the same capacity at Pamlico Community College. On January 1, 1987, Bill Wilson began his job as Tool and Die and Machinist Instructor at the College. Ms. Fonda Pittman began working at the College on January 15, 1987, as financial aid secretary. On May 5 and 6, 1987, Mrs. Kathleen Orringer presided as President of North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees in Raleigh. On June 1, 1987, Mr. Gerald McGowan began his duties as Dean of Industrial Technologies.
On January 20, 1987, the College Board of Trustees held its winter quarter meeting at the Landing Restaurant (now Winstead’s) in Havelock. It was a dinner meeting with Representative Gerald Anderson, Representative Beverly Perdue, and Senator Bill Barker as our special guests. Senator Barker was also a Trustee of the College at the time. Trustee Roger Bell welcomed the group to Havelock and invited the group to meet again in Havelock.
During 1987, 1988, and through December 1989 was the time of planning for and awarding contracts for the buildings “D” and “E”. These two buildings are now near completion. We also made plans for an Atlantic Center to accommodate indoor physical education classes. Our student enrollment continues to increase without adequate classrooms or parking spaces on the New Bern Campus. However, it is a good problem since many of our sister institutions across the state have experienced a decline in enrollment. I feel that Craven County continues to grow in population. Therefore, additional new facilities are a must in the 1990s. I hope those in positions of leadership in Craven County will respond to this challenge in the appropriate manner.
As I bring to a close this final article on the history of Craven Community College, I cherish my years with the College. I have fond memories of the outstanding employees, trustees, and students that I have known as President of the College. The fine people that we have associated with the College in various capacities are my most pleasant memories. People who enjoy their association with the College and worked diligently to make it a better college for everyone are the unsung heroes. To each and every one of you I am most grateful. My best wishes to all of you as you lead Craven Community College and your own personal lives in to the new decade of the 1990s.