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."
The year is 1968, Lyndon Johnson is President, Dan Moore is Governor, and Robert W. Scott is Lieutenant Governor. Craven County Technical Institute was operating at what is now the Harvey House Restaurant on Tryon Palace Drive.
In the fall of 1968, Mr. Paul Favreau was auto body foreman at Aubrey Johnson Chevrolet and Mr. Bill Myatt was foreman of the mechanics shop. Dr. Bob Myers was making plans to begin college as a freshman at N.C. State University. Mr. John Fonville, Registrar, was in the fourth grade at Pleasant Hill School. Mr. Si Seymour at Camden County High School and David Bauer was a sophomore at East Aurora High School in New York. Many of our students had not been born at this time.
Craven County Technical Institute was to become an official independent institution as the newly constituted Board of Trustees held it’s first meeting on Tuesday, April 23,1968. The meeting begin at 7:30 in the second floor classroom building located at 221 Tryon Palace Drive. Charter members of the Board of Trustees were: Mr. Edwin J. Cella, the late Mr. Edward C. Howard, Mr. James B. Wiggins, Mr. Hiram Mayo, Mr. John R. Hill, Mrs. Leah O. Ipock, Mr. Charles T. Denham, Dr. Charles T. Barker, Mr. Albert Salem, Mr. James F. Gavin, Mrs. Evelyn C. Haire, and Mr. Lynn N. Kelso. Others in attendance were: Dr. I. E. Ready, State Director, (President) of the department of Community Colleges; State Representative R. C. Godwin; Mr. D. L. Stallings, Chairman of the Craven County Board of Commissioners; Mr. Dorothy Pate, Clerk of Court, Richard Jose, Bookkeeper; Mrs. Kathleen B. Tyndall, Secretary to the President, and Thurman E. Brock, President of the Technical Institute.
At this organizational meeting, Mr. Lynn Kelso was elected Chairman, Mr. Albert Salem, Vice Chairman, and Thurman Brock was elected as Secretary to the Board. Mr. David Ward was elected as Board attorney. All current employees of Craven County Technical Institute employed officially including the President. Among those who were employed on a full-time basis who are still employed with Craven Community College were: Thurman E. Brock, President; Dr. Steve Redd, Dean of the College; and Mrs. Hazel Heath Faculty Secretary. Amount the part time faculty employed at the organizational meeting an April 23,1968 were: Mrs. Jane Atkinson, Mrs. Rachel Woodard, Mrs. William Sinclair, Mr. Jerry Strickland, Mr. Roger Thrift, Mr. Frank Volney, Mrs. Ouida Waugh, Mrs. Helen Adams, Mr. W.J. Adams, Mrs. Eva B. Hill, Mrs. Elizabeth B. White, Mrs. Jane B. Smith, Mr. Ed Averette, Mrs. Mary Bullock, Mrs. Frances Ressman, Mrs. Phyllis Kent, Mr. Jacob Kaminsky, Mr. Tommie L. Phelps, Mr. W.M. ”Zoot” Saunders Mr. G. R. Hufstetler Jr. and Mr. Albert "Sammy" Stocks.
Many of the names as former employees are familiar names locally. Some of these residents are still associated with the college. And many are still with the New Bern-Craven County Schools.
At the first organizational meeting a campus site committee was appointed by chairman Kelso. The site committee was chaired by Mr. Albert Salem and serving with him were Dr. Charles T. Barker and Mr. Edward Howard. Several legal documents were adopted by the board which were necessary for the Technical Institute to begin operations independent of Lenoir Community College and the Craven County School System. Those were effective May 1, 1968. The first meeting was a busy session that adjourned at 10:30 p.m.
Fiscal year 1968-69 required frequent meetings of the Board of Trustees. From the initial meeting on April 23,1968, through June 1969, there were 16 Board meetings during this 14 month period of time.
The Board of Trustees employed Mr. John N. Peterson as architect for its first building project on May 29, 1968. For local architects considered were Mr. Raymond Fuson and Mr. Robert H. Stephens.
A report of the site committee was given on May 29, 1968, by Mr. Albert Salem, Chairman.
Mr. Salem reported that several sites were being considered. They were identified as: (1) Weyerhaeuser site on Racetrack Road, (2) the Bryan property on Pembroke-Country Club Road, (3) Dan White property on Highway 17 South, and (4) Elbert Cook property located 10 miles east of New Bern on Highway 70 (Riverdale community). On July 9, 1968, the Board of Trustees voted by a unanimous decision to purchase the Weyerhaeuser property as recommended buy the site committee. The 100-acre site on racetrack Road was chosen because of its location near the country’s population center and its locations near the planned four-lane bypass of Highway 70.
A number of other events occurred this first year of operation that may be of interest. The first graduation was held at the Bridgeton School auditorium on August 23, 1968. A pinning ceremony for the practical nursing graduates was held at Beach Grove Methodist Church on the same date. On March 11, 1969, the College was informed that the State Board of Education had approved our request for a new cosmetology program which was to located on Trent Boulevard, where it still remains today. Finally, on June 10, 1969, the College Broad amended its bylaws to allow quarterly meetings of the Board. Trustees had been meeting on a monthly basis the first year of operation.
It was a busy year for Craven County Technical Institute. We were making plans for new programs and new facilities on a new campus. It was a busy and productive year for Craven County Technical Institute.