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BOOK 2 HISTORY OF MID-PLAINS COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOLUME 2: MPCC AS AN AREA-WIDE SYSTEM 1974-2000 i HISTORY OF MID-PLAINS COMMUNITY COLLEGE © Copyright 2011 Mid-Plains Community College All rights reserved under international and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. 1st Edition, Published December 2011 Published by: Mid-Plains Community College 1101 Halligan Dr. North Platte, Nebraska 69101 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936426 Credits: Design and Layout: Mid-Plains Community College Office of Public Information and Marketing Cover Design: Jessica Epting Edited: Dr. Ford Craig Final Proofing: Karen Haller Written and edited by: Ford Craig, Ivan Koch, Kenneth Aten, Jerda Thomson Garey, William Hasemeyer History of Mid-Plains Community College, Volume 2: MPCC as an Area Wide System is the second volume in a planned three part history of the post-secondary educational institutions that evolved into Mid-Plains Community College. Volume 2 covers the college’s history from 1974 to 2000 and was written by the same group of writers as Volume 1. The contents of Volume 2 are divided into three sections: Early Formative Period-Fall 1984 to Spring 1994; Building Blocks of an Area - Fall 1984 to Spring 1994; and Changes and Transitions: Fall - 1994 to Spring 2000. There are stories about the faculty, staff and students, lists of award winners, photos and information about programs and actions that occurred during that span of time. ISBN: 978-0-9839137-0-2 ii BOOK 2 HISTORY OF MID-PLAINS COMMUNITY COLLEGE VOLUME 2: MPCC AS AN AREA-WIDE SYSTEM 1974-2000 iii BOOK 2 Dedication of This Book: Ken Aten n the spring of 2006, I assembled the Mid-Plains History Writers IGroup: Ken Aten, Bill Hasemeyer, Jerda Garey, and Ivan Koch. About two years later, we had produced Volume 1 which documented the early beginnings of the Area from 1926 to 1973-74 tracing the history of the free standing colleges that, in 1974, would become collectively the Mid-Plains Community College Area. At the time when Volume 1 was published, I commented that we were not done; there would be a Volume 2, and no one could die on me as writer and editor: After all...A Deal Is A Deal. Ken kept his end of the deal; he made two final corrections to his Book 2 material just before the pancreatic cancer set upon him. Thanks for all of it, Ken from Jerda Garey, Ivan Koch, Bill Hasemeyer, and Ford Craig. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND APPRECIATION Appreciation is extended to the following groups and individuals who provided valuable support as this book was being written: From Mid-Plains Central Administration: Dr. Michael Chipps, MPCC Area President, was the person who first saw the need for the history of the MPCC Area to be preserved. From McCook: Jerda Garey invited the former division chairs and deans of McCook Community College who lived in McCook to a dinner at her home on May 3, 2010 for an evening of reflection. Each person in attendance, along with Dr. Bill Hasemeyer, identified the highlights of his or her career at the college. Consensus themes included unity, service, and team work. There was a strong bond among the division chairs, and they felt a real need to help preserve MCC’s heritage and to continue traditions. Most of the instructors stated that they enjoyed and appreciated the closeness with students and the opportunity to influence and shape minds. They also stated that even in hard times, they pulled together to make the college better. They wore many hats and felt empowered in the college operation. v HISTORY OF MID-PLAINS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Over the years, another important responsibility was to advise students and assist them if they were transferring to another institution. The athletic coaches in attendance felt they were supported, and the memories of their successes would always be special along with memories of the athletes they were privileged to coach. They had fun and enjoyed the friendships of other faculty members. All in all, McCook Community College was a special place to work. The following people contributed to Volume 2 of this book either by providing information, proofreading, or otherwise verifying the accuracy of the text: Myrna Bollerup Stan Garretson Michele Gill Glenn and Judi Haney Sharon Kircher Darrin Samway Dorothy Stevens and College Library Staff Jim Steward Janet Weber From North Platte: At the time the North Platte sections of Volume 2 were nearly completed, copies were distributed to former and current faculty for review. The following faculty and staff people contributed to Volume 2 of this book either by providing information, proofreading, or otherwise verifying the accuracy of the text and recollections: Roger Babcock Sharon Brown Roy Deeds Jessica Epting Lee Finecy Boyd Gentry Mary Ginapp Karen Haller Bob Landberg Marilyn McGahan Virgil Nelson Kevin O’Connor vi BOOK 2 Connie Parks Chuck Salestrom Eloise Schwab Colin Taylor Sally Thalken Jerry Ulrich Peggy Woodruff From Nebraska Community College Association: Melanie Williams For Sustenance Carol Aten, Doris Craig, Beth Hasemyer, Jerda Garey, Tom Vickers, Terry Woods vii BOOK 2 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction: Purpose and Place ................................ 1 Chapter 2: 1974-1984 Early Formative Period .............................. 3 Board Members .............................................................. 3 Area Administration ....................................................... 4 McCook Community College ...................................... 10 North Platte - McDonald-Belton ................................ 49 North Platte - Voc-Tech .............................................. 83 Chapter 3: 1984-1994 Building Blocks of an Area .................... 101 Board Members .......................................................... 102 Area Administration ....................................................103 McCook Community College .................................... 113 North Platte - McDonald-Belton .............................. 163 North Platte - Voc-Tech ............................................ 184 Chapter 4: 1994-2000 Changes and Transitions ....................... 203 Board Members .......................................................... 209 Area Administration ................................................... 210 McCook Community College .................................... 229 North Platte - McDonald-Belton .............................. 258 North Platte - Voc-Tech ............................................ 274 Mid - Plains Community College Area: 1987-2010 Outstanding Graduates Recognized by Nebraska Community College Association ............... 285 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 297 Notes on the Writers ........................................................................ 299 ix BOOK 2 Chapter 1 Book 2: A Continuation ook 2: MPCC as an Area-Wide System is a companion volume to BBook 1. In Book 1: Early History and Development of the Colleges and Formation of the Area, the editor and writers traced the origins of the Mid-Plains Community College System. Jerda Garey, assisted by Walt Sehnert, traced the early history of McCook Junior College, an institution that opened its doors to students in 1926. In the fall of 1965, North Platte College opened its doors to students. William Hasemeyer and Ivan Koch chronicled North Platte Community College’s beginnings and early years. The year 1966 marked the beginning of the process of opening the Voc-Tech College in North Platte. Ken Aten detailed its beginning and early years. The 1973 and 1974 years saw the formation of community college areas or districts in Nebraska, and so the Mid-Plains Technical Community College Area was created by an act of the legislature to be one of six community college systems in Nebraska. All of the writers mentioned in the previous paragraph collaborated to record the story of MPTCCA’s formation. With that addition, Book 1 was finished. Book 2, then, is a continuation of this important history, tracing the incremental progress of the separate colleges into a practical, functioning community college Area, MPTCCA. Book 2 contains three sections: Early Formative Period - fall semester 1974; spring semester 1984; Building Blocks of an Area - fall semester 1984; spring semester 1994; and Changes and Transitions - fall semester 1994; spring semester 2000. Note: The community college area which is the subject of this book was by law referenced as Mid-Plains Technical Community College Area (MPTCCA) until the law changed in 1987 after which time it became Mid-Plains Community College Area (MPCCA). In Book 2, educational programs that were dropped and educational programs that were added will be noted as these actions occurred at the campus locations over the different periods of time between 1974 and 2000. 1 BOOK 2 Chapter 2 Introduction: MPTCCA 1974-1984 A Confederation on Its Way to an Area loose confederation best describes McCook Community College, A North Platte Junior College, and Mid-Plains Voc-Tech at the point of the legislative merger in 1974. To the casual eye, an outside observer’s eye, the cluster of institutions making up the new MPTCCA unit appeared nearly autonomous. However, a person paying closer attention might

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