Ranger College
| Type | Community college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1926 |
| President | Dr. Bill Campion |
| Undergraduates | 2011 (as of Fall 2014) |
| Location | Ranger, Texas, USA |
| Campus | Rural, 50 acres |
| Colors | Purple and white |
| Nickname | Rangers |
| Website | www.rangercollege.edu |
Ranger College is a community college located in Ranger, Texas, a small town 90 miles (140 km) west of Fort Worth, Texas. The college's website asserts that it "is one of the oldest public two-year colleges in continuous operation in the state of Texas."[1] In conjunction with its main campus in Ranger, the college maintains several satellite campuses across Erath County and Brown County, Texas. Ranger College provides dual-credit courses to 24 area school districts. The main campus is located at 1100 College Circle, Ranger, TX 76470.
As defined by the Texas State Legislature, the official service area of Ranger College is the following:[2]
- the part of the Ranger Independent School District located in Eastland County, excluding the area known as the "old Bullock School Land", and
- all of Brown, Comanche, Erath, Young, Palo Pinto, and Stephens Counties, excluding the portion of the Graham Independent School District located in Young County.
History
The school opened on September 13, 1926 with thirty students. The State Department of Education recognized it on March 23, 1927. Ranger College was a governed by the public school system until August 18, 1950, when the Board of Education separated junior colleges. The school thereafter has been governed independently by a Board of Regents and its own presidents, of which Dr. G. C. Boswell was the first.
In 2010, Ranger College opened campuses in Early and Stephenville, Texas.
Ranger College is accredited as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 2011, Ranger College, along with Frank Phillips College in Borger, Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, and Odessa College in Odessa, were proposed for closure by the State of Texas. The Texas Association of Community Colleges rallied successfully to keep the four institutions open. In a letter to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus of San Antonio and Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, TAAC leaders referred to state budget restrictions at the time:
Community colleges are fully aware of the state's budget crisis, and we understand that we will have to bear our share of the budget pain. We pledge to work with you to reach a fair and equitable solution ... the decision to close these four colleges is unfair and inequitable in that it appears to be arbitrary and ill-advised. We stand in support of our sister colleges, and we look forward to a productive debate ...[3]
Athletics
Ranger College's athletic teams are nicknamed the Rangers. The Rangers compete in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, cross country running, golf, rodeo, soccer, and volleyball.[4] The basketball teams play at Ron Butler Gymnasium. The baseball team plays at Ellis Burks Field, named after Ranger College alumnus and retired Major League Baseball player Ellis Burks.
In 1978 the Ranger College football team won the NJCAA national championship. In August 2007, Ranger replaced its football program with men's and women's soccer and men's golf programs, citing gender equity. The football team finished the final year 4 -5 and also were not able to finish the season after many of the football players became ineligible for undisclosed reasons in 2006.[5]
On 16 June 2007, Ranger College won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association men's team title in the College National Finals Rodeo held in Casper, Wyoming.[6] Ranger had only been competing again since 2005, after a 25-year hiatus.[7]
In 2013 the Ranger College men's soccer team won the NJCAA Region V Championship and participated in the NJCAA Division I national tournament.
Former MLB player Jim Morris was drafted out of Ranger College by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1983. Morris' unique journey through professional baseball was depicted in the 2002 Disney film The Rookie.[8]
Other notable sports figures who graduated from Ranger College include National Football League wide receiver Johnny Perkins and NCAA coach Billy Gillispie, who returned to the school in 2015 as its athletic director and men's head basketball coach.
References
- ↑ , Ranger College official website.
- ↑ Texas Education Code, Section 130.196, "Ranger Junior College District Service Area".
- ↑ "Letter to the Honorable Joe Straus" (PDF). tacc.org. January 24, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ↑ Ranger College Rangers Athletics Home
- ↑ Stowers, Carlton (August 14, 2007). "Ranger rids itself of football". Abilene Reporter-News. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ↑ Associated Press (2007-06-17). "Young Texas team takes CNFR titles". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- ↑ Kanode, Susan (2007-06-17). "Ranger reigns after restarting program". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
- ↑ "Ranger College Alumni Page". Ballcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-01-21.