Life a century ago was changing by the day.
The Industrial Revolution was in full swing.
Telephones and cars, once considered luxuries for the very rich, were increasingly available for the common man.
As such, the demand for jobs was changing by the day as well.
No longer were young men destined for careers as farmers or laborers.
Technical know-how became as important as brawn, especially in rural America.
Communities across the country were eager to adapt.
One of the most significant, if little publicized, was the need for instruction beyond high school.
By 1923, communities such as Iola, Parsons, Coffeyville were eager to catch up.
The surest way, educators agreed, was through junior colleges.
“The advantages of such a two-year college course given in the home town are numerous,” the Register wrote in its Feb. 13, 1923, edition. “The teaching will be better, as the freshmen classes in all of the colleges are so crowded that close supervision … is impossible.”
A survey of local high school seniors confirmed the suspicions. Many would be willing to extend their education if such a program was offered.
By that fall, Iola Junior College — situated on the third floor of Iola High School — was born.
And while the world today is a radically different place, those same tenets — an affordable, quality education in a cozier environment than a four-year university can offer — hold true.
Fast forward 100 years, and Allen Community College is ready for a party.
