Western Wyoming Community College was established in the Fall of 1959. Through the efforts of a citizens’ committee, a campaign was begun, an election was held, and the College was created. Forty students enrolled for college credit courses with five full-time faculty teaching during the evening. The first classes were held in the Rock Springs High School building.
In 1960-61, the College moved to Reliance, five miles from Rock Springs, to occupy the former Reliance High School and daytime classes began. In 1964, the original district was expanded to include all communities within Sweetwater County, a new Board of Trustees was elected, and the official name of the College became Western Wyoming Community College.
In November of 1967, ground-breaking ceremonies marked the beginning of construction on a new campus, with completion in June of 1969. In 1973, voters approved a bond to provide additional instructional facilities. The new vocational-technical education building was ready for occupancy in Fall, 1974, and the college center building was completed. In 1976, three residence halls were constructed to provide on-campus housing, made possible by a loan from the State Farm Loan Board. The College was granted accreditation by the North Central Association in April of 1976.
In 1981, the citizens of Sweetwater County demonstrated their support for Western Wyoming Community College by authorizing a building project that cost in excess of $63,000,000. This major expansion created one of the most modern and beautiful community college campuses in the West. Students who enrolled in 1985 were the first to use new student housing, the Green River Center and the Technology and Industry shops. Between the Fall of 1987 and Fall of 1988, a new student commons area, classrooms and labs, offices, Children’s Center, studios, and theatre were occupied. A new chemistry laboratory was completed for the Fall of 1993. Construction of a fifth residence hall was approved in December 1994, and completed in August 1997. A sixth residence hall was completed in Fall 2008. A compression technology building was completed in Spring 2007 and a diesel technology addition was completed Spring 2008. The seventh residence hall was brought on board in 2010.
Student numbers have increased from 40 in 1959 to nearly 6,500 in 2013. These figures include all students – varying ages and interests, enrolled in the credit, non-credit and extension programs. The number of full-time students enrolled for college credit courses has increased to over 1,300, and full-time equivalent students (FTE) has increased to over 2,600.
Approximately 450 students were recognized for degree and certificate completion at Western Wyoming Community College during this year’s Commencement. To date, the campus has awarded more than 8,500 associate’s degrees and 2,200 certificates since its very first Commencement exercises in 1962.
The Western Wyoming Community College campus provides visitors with exceptional learning opportunities without having to set foot in a classroom. The hallways and surrounding facilities offer a look into the past and a chance to experience wonders from around the world. WWCC is a great place to get a glimpse of Southwest Wyoming’s history, observe majestic creatures and ponder ancient cultures.
Western Wyoming Community College is home to five life sized dinosaur displays, They are the largest easily accessible collection of dinosaurs along I-80 from Chicago to San Francisco. In-order to bring Wyoming dinosaurs back to Wyoming, a fund raising project began in 1989 to collect and display specimens native to Wyoming from throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era. The dinosaurs on display are:
- Camptosaurus near the bookstore which was originally found in the fossil dinosaur beds at Como Bluff, east of Rawlins Wyoming in 1879.
- The giant Plesiosaur which lines the hall way leading to Mitchell’s Dining Hall.
- Stegosaurus is one of the first dinosaurs found in Wyoming in 1878 at Como Bluff east of Rawlins.
- Triceratops was discovered in eastern Wyoming near Lance Creek in 1889.
- The mighty Tyrannosaurus watches over the diners at the T-Rex Grill.
The Natural History exhibits are displayed throughout the campus, they focus on the geology and archaeology of Southwest Wyoming. They consist of Fossils, Enclave Exhibits, Sabalites Palm Frond, and a Miner’s Coal Car. The newest addition to the various exhibits are the Slabs of the following Stones which adorn one of WWCC’s main hallways:
- A Pegmatite
- A Breccia
- A Pudding Stone
- A Sea Sediment
- Coarse Grained Pegmatite with Dike
- A Migmatite
The wildlife in the Weidner Wildlife Museum were donated to the College from Rock Springs residents, Roger A. and Jeanne A. Weidner. The Weidners chose to donate their collection, which was assembled over the course of several decades, to the College because they wanted to share it with others. The Weidners believe that “It will help educate the public about these wonderful creatures.” The museum opened in September 2002 and houses nearly 125 species of wildlife collected worldwide. This fascinating display of mounted wildlife entertains and educates visitors, excites hunters and often motivates interest in the conservation of outdoor resources.
Easter Island statues known as moai adorn the back lawn and the walking track area of the campus. They are nine ton concrete replicas. Western Wyoming Community College’s own Dr. Charles Love teamed up with artist Gregory Gaylor to design and carve the mold used to cast them. The great mystery of Easter Island has been how the Islanders moved the statues from their remote quarry to the huge ceremonial centers along the coast. Below are some pictures of the two statues on campus as well as some pictures from Easter Island taken by Dr. Love.
(Information from WWCC website)
