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Mitchell Community College will celebrate the legacy of Dr. W. Dallas Herring, often referred to as the “Father of the North Carolina Community College System,” on March 6 at 3 p.m. in the Alumni Lobby. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are invited to attend.
A portrait of Dr. Herring will be unveiled during the ceremony. Similar events will take place at all 58 community colleges the same day.
A Duplin County native, Herring is considered the philosophical godfather of the state’s community college system. As the chair of the State Board of Education in 1963, Herring was instrumental in creating the community college system. He may be best known for his belief that education should be available to all and that community colleges should “take people from where they are, as far as they can go.”
“I had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Herring and visiting with him at his home in Rose Hill during my tenure at the system office,” said Dr. Tim Brewer, Mitchell’s president. “The community college system would not be where it is today without Dr. Herring’s forward-thinking approach to education.”
Herring was appointed by Gov. Luther Hodges to chair the State Board of Education, serving from 1955-77. In May of 1963, the General Assembly established the North Carolina Community College System. Under the leadership of Herring, the Community College Advisory Council was established to advise the State Board of Education. Herring was a life-long advocate for the state’s community colleges and the system’s “open door” philosophy — a result of Herring’s leadership during the system’s early years.
“Dallas Herring was a visionary who understood that education could be a defining factor in a person’s life,” said Dr. Scott Ralls, NC Community College System president. “His legacy has brought us to where we are today — one of the most comprehensive community college systems in the nation, educating people of all ages, training the state’s workforce and providing college transfer opportunities.”
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