Palm Beach State College: A Legacy of Growth and Innovation

Palm Beach State College (PBSC), the largest institution of higher education in Palm Beach County, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in November, marking decades of growth, challenges, and ambitious plans for the future. From its humble beginnings in 1933, with just 41 students, PBSC has evolved into a comprehensive college serving over 40,000 students annually across five campuses and online.

The Great Depression and the Birth of a College

In 1933, during the depths of the Great Depression, Palm Beach Junior College (PBJC) was launched by Joe Youngblood, the county school superintendent, and Howell L. Watkins, principal of Palm Beach High School, becoming Florida's first public two-year college. At a time when jobs and money were scarce, the college offered a local, affordable option for students to pursue higher education. The original building was located near the corner of Fern Street and Gardenia Street in West Palm Beach, on what is now the campus for Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

Consulting with the University of Florida and the Florida State Women's College (now Florida State University), Youngblood and Watkins based Palm Beach Junior College’s curriculum on that of the two universities. The College welcomed 41 students in its opening class. In June 1936, Charlotte Cross, Virginia Cunningham, and Frank Kamiya became the college’s first graduates.

Early Years and Relocation Challenges

In 1936, John I. Leonard, superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools, became the college’s first president, earning the nickname “Mr. Junior College" for his work over the years. Enrollment hit triple digits for the first time, with 117 students attending the college in the 1939-1940 school year.

By 1948, as enrollment continued to climb, the college outgrew its original home and moved into the buildings at Morrison Field. Deactivated after World War II, the former military base sat on a 21-acre site now used by Palm Beach International Airport. An airplane hangar became the college library, and the Officer's Club became a student union building. But just a few years later, the military base was reactivated during the Korean War, forcing the college to move once more.

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In 1951, the college moved into the former Lake Park Town Hall building, limiting enrollment and cutting staff to continue operations in the cramped building. The former jail became a chemistry lab, the courtroom evolved into a library, and a room that once stored fire engines became a lounge for students. During this period, Palm Beach Junior College was known as "the little orphan college." The local media dubbed it "the little orphan college," but the Lake Park location is remembered fondly by its alumni for the camaraderie that existed there. Master English and Speech Professor Watson B.

Their fortune changed in 1955 when the county commission donated 114 acres of land in what was then Lake Worth to the college, which used the land - along with more than a million dollars in state funding - to build the first permanent campus in 1956.

Growth and Expansion

In 1958, Dr. Harold C. Manor became the college's second president, overseeing huge growth as enrollment surpassed 1,000 students for the first time. In 1965, the state legislature ordered that black and white two-year colleges be merged, and the mostly white Palm Beach Junior College and the all-black Roosevelt Junior College became one.

The Civil Rights Movement and Integration

Almost all of the 2,000 students attending PBJC in the early '60s were white. The first Black student, Mary Warren, enrolled in 1960. The Palm Beach County School Board governed the college at that time. In 1963, several families sued the school board for denying a request by students to transfer from the all-Black Roosevelt Junior College to PBJC, which offered better courses.

The school board voted to remove enrollment barriers at PBJC, and attendance grew to more than 3,500 as students transferred from Roosevelt Junior College. Then, in early 1968, the state passed a law that changed the governance of junior colleges from local school boards to independent boards of trustees.

Expansion to New Locations

The college, hoping to expand throughout Palm Beach County, began holding classes at temporary locations in Belle Glade starting in 1972. The Belle Glade National Armory was renovated and turned into classroom space, while Glades General Hospital held the college's administrative offices. The college broke ground on a permanent Belle Glade facility in 1977 before holding an open-house ceremony on Feb. 12, 1978.

That same year, Dr. Edward M. Eissey became the third president of PBJC. Eissey led the charge to secure more funding and to bring the college into a new era of growth. The campaign for a half-mill property tax increase began with a news conference in January 1980, and the college president went on to give dozens of speeches throughout the county. About two months later, as voters went to the polls, college students and staff lined highway overpasses and busy intersections to push for the referendum's approval. "Vote for PBJC, Punch 139," their signs read. The referendum, which was meant to pay for much-needed improvements at the college's aging facilities, passed with 9,701 votes in favor of the tax and 5,104 against.

Years later, with help from an increase in state funding, the college opened its Palm Beach Gardens location in 1982. The college then opened its Boca Raton campus in 1983, along with the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade.

Name Changes and a New Mascot

In 1988, after decades of PBJC continually offering more local programs and services, the Board of Trustees decided to change the institution's name to Palm Beach Community College, or PBCC. The college also exceeded 10,000 students for the first time during the '80s.

On Sept. 14, 1990, PBCC renamed the Palm Beach Gardens campus to the Edward M. Eissey Campus, honoring his years of service to the college. The Eissey Campus Theatre opened there years later. In 1991, the Board of Trustees changed the college's mascot to a Florida panther - a beloved mascot now known as Palmer the Panther. The "Pacers," PBCC's previous mascot, was a type of racing horse.

In 1993, by the college's 60th anniversary, enrollment was nearing 50,000 students across four campuses. In 1997, Dennis P. Gallon became PBCC’s fourth president, leading the institution into a new era of growth. And in 1999, the college assumed responsibility for more than 40 postsecondary adult vocational programs from the Palm Beach County School District.

Transition to Palm Beach State College

In 2008, the State Board of Education gave PBCC the green light to offer its first baccalaureate degree: a Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management. That same year, the Lake Worth campus opened its Natural Science building, expanding classroom and laboratory space. The college's Technical Education Center opened on the Belle Glade campus in 2010.

Also in 2010, PBCC officially adopted its new name: Palm Beach State College. The change reflected PBSC's ability to offer four-year degrees.

Recent Developments and Achievements

The college awarded its first bachelor's degrees to 122 students in 2011. Not long after, in 2013, the college opened its 143,000-square-foot Public Safety Training Center on the Lake Worth campus, offering an education in the areas of criminal justice, firefighting, and emergency medical services.

The college broke ground on its Loxahatchee Groves location - the fifth PBSC campus - in 2014, and Ava L. Parker became the first woman to head Palm Beach State College as its president in 2015. That same year, the college opened its first Panther’s Pantry to help students who struggle with food insecurity, followed by the first Panther's Closet, a thrift store with $1 clothes and shoes, about two years later.

The Loxahatchee Groves location officially opened in 2017. Named after the college's former president, the Dennis P. Gallon campus started with a focus on innovative technology and health science programs. The college then offered its first fully online Associate in Arts degree program in business in 2018. That same year, PBSC opened the Veterans Success Center on the Lake Worth campus, helping veterans and service members with their education.

In 2020, the college started offering two new bachelor’s degree programs in human services and respiratory therapy, and PBSC opened the Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler Equity Institute to "improve retention and help close the graduation gap for minority students."

In recent years, Palm Beach State College has achieved significant recognition and accolades, solidifying its position as a leading institution of higher education. The College has been named an Aspen Prize Top 150 Community College by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program seven times since the first biennial prize was awarded in 2011; is ranked among the Top Online Colleges by Newsweek and Statista; is recognized as one of the Top 100 Colleges for Hispanic Students by Hispanic Outlook magazine; has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security since 2023; has been chosen a “Top 10” or "Gold" Military Friendly® and Military Spouse Friendly School for the fifth consecutive year by VIQTORY, a highly regarded military publisher; and PBSC’s Ethical Hackers Club won second place for the second year in a row at the Florida Department of Education’s Second Annual Cybersecurity Competition. As an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, PBSC provides the global company’s hourly employees with access to the College’s more than 160 degree and certificate programs.

Innovative Programs and Partnerships

Palm Beach State College is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and aligning its curriculum with workforce needs. President Parker collaborates closely with PBSC’s 500 industry partners to ensure the College’s curriculum is aligned to workforce needs. One high-profile example is PBSC’s partnership with TMRW Sports, founded by professional golfers Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and TMRW Sports CEO Mike McCarley. TMRW Sports chose PBSC’s Palm Beach Gardens campus as the first and only location in the world for TGL, its new tech-infused indoor golf league.

AI and other emerging technologies are rapidly changing every industry, especially health care. With the new Dental & Medical Services Technology Building, PBSC’s health sciences programs will be at the forefront of these technological advances. New simulated learning labs will be equipped with virtual reality learning technology. One example is the Anatomage table, a highly advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection system for anatomy and physiology education brings the human body to life enabling students to dissect synthetic cadavers. Additionally, a fully equipped dental surgical operating suite provides hands-on learning for students.

Palm Beach State College Today

Palm Beach State College now serves more than 40,000 students a year, offering associate and baccalaureate degrees, along with professional certificates, career training, and continuing education. Last year, the college launched PBSC Online, a fully online program that offers students the option to pursue degrees and certificates on their own schedules. This year, the PBSC women's beach volleyball team made history after winning the inaugural NJCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship.

TMRW Sports Group, co-founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, broke ground on an interactive, indoor tech golf league at PBSC’s Palm Beach Gardens campus in February. PBSC also broke ground at the Loxahatchee Groves campus in May, kicking off the construction of a $50 million Dental and Medical Services Technology building. The facility is expected to have a dental clinic, a surgical technology suite, and science labs, offering training to students and low-cost dental services to community members. Construction of the four-story, 83,500-square-foot building is expected to finish in 2025.

President Ava L. Parker's leadership has been instrumental in driving the college's success. Under her strategic leadership, the College is focused on innovation and student success. Her emphasis on preparing a technologically capable workforce has resulted in PBSC emerging as a top institution for STEM education, with a focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering technology, and the implementation of advanced technologies in PBSC classrooms. Since Parker took the helm, PBSC opened its fifth campus, located in Loxahatchee Groves, and continues to gain significant funding support from both public and private sources. Parker has launched many other initiatives, including the Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler Student Success Center and PBSC Online.

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