The History of Seminole State College of Florida

A Tradition of Excellence in Central Florida

What started in 1966 as a few portable classrooms huddled in a former citrus grove is now Seminole State College of Florida, one of the nation's fastest growing two-year colleges, with six sites spanning Seminole County and enrollment exceeding 32,000.

1965: The Florida State Legislature signed a charter creating Seminole Junior College. The Seminole County School Board hired Dr. Earl S. Weldon, a former president of St. Johns River Junior College in Palatka, to be the newly formed institution's president. 

March 1966: A lot that once belonged to Chase Citrus Groves, near U.S. 17-92 and Interstate 4, was selected for the College's campus.

August 1966: Seminole Junior College opened with 700 students housed in portable classrooms.

1968: Construction began on the College's first permanent structures. The school held its first commencement exercises.

July 1968: The Florida Legislature removed junior colleges from the purview of county school boards and turned the colleges' advisory boards into district boards of trustees.

April 1971: The dedication was held for Seminole Junior College's Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.

October 1971: The College's enrollment exceeded 7,000.

1975: Seminole Junior College became Seminole Community College, with enrollment reaching 14,161. Phase II of construction was completed with the opening of the College's gymnasium (Building H). SCC began Phase III of construction, which included the Fine Arts and Vocational buildings.

1980: Seminole Community College held its first summer schedule. The College's enrollment exceeded 20,000 for the first time.

1982: The Raider men’s tennis team won its first of two back-to-back national tennis championships.

1986: SCC opened its Hunt Club Center.

1987: The College's Adult Education building opened. The new building included the SCC Planetarium.

1994: The Lt. Jim Brantley Firing Range opened at Geneva. The Public Safety Training Center is located on 221 acres of land that the College leases from Seminole County.

July 1994: The Weldon Building, the College's administration facility, opened.

1995: Dr. Weldon retired after nearly 30 years of service.

1996: Dr. E. Ann McGee, a community college graduate and administrator at Broward Community College, became Seminole Community College's second president.

1999: SCC's $5 million high-tech science building opened.

2000: The College's Seminole Technology Business Incubation Center opened at the Port of Sanford.

October 2000: President George W. Bush, then the Republican nominee, gave a campaign speech at SCC's Sanford/Lake Mary Campus. He was joined by Sen. John McCain and Gov. Jeb Bush.

January 2001: Seminole Community College opened its Oviedo Campus to serve residents of east Seminole County.

July 2001: SCC's Construction Trades Building (Building D) opened on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.

2002: Seminole Community College and the University of Central Florida celebrated the grand opening of UCF's new regional campus at Sanford/Lake Mary.

2003: The Raider men's baseball team won its first state title and advanced to the JUCO World Series.

2004: Thousands of students were relocated after Hurricane Frances caused severe damage to Building B on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus. Gov. Jeb Bush visited the campus to view damage. SCC was honored with the Bellwether Award for being the No. 1 community college in the country in planning, governance and finance.

2006: SCC received its first $1 million private donation. The donation, given by Art Grindle, a former state legislator and Central Florida auto dealer, created the Art & Phyllis Grindle Honors Institute.

2006: The College partnered with UCF to launch DirectConnect to UCF, which guarantees Seminole Community College graduates hassle-free admission to the university and academic advising by university counselors.

January 2007: With a $2.5 million donation from the Central Florida Auto Dealers' Association, SCC opened its $10.1 million Automotive Training Center.

August 2007: The College opened its $30 million Center for Economic Development at Heathrow.

January 2008: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist helped dedicate SCC's $33 million Altamonte Springs Campus, which houses all of the College's healthcare programs. The four-story campus replaced the Hunt Club Center.

May 2008: SCC opened the $3 million expansion of its Geneva Center, which includes a Public Safety Driving Track and a new classroom building.

January 2009: The College received state approval to offer its first four-year degree, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Interior Design.

August 2009: SCC announced plans to change its name to reflect its expanding mission and new status as a state college. 

September 2009: The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a motion to rename the institution Seminole State College of Florida.

January 2010: Partnership Center is scheduled to open.

For more than 40 years, Seminole State has thrived by adapting to and meeting the needs of an ever-changing community. By offering high-quality educational programs and services, the College continues to provide students and area residents with a multitude of resources. Now and in the years to come, opportunities for personal growth abound at the College.

Did you know?

In a recent survey, 95 percent of responding graduates said they would attend Seminole State again and 43 percent rated their overall Seminole State experience as "excellent."