Ranger College
| Ranger College | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1923 |
| Type | Community college |
| President | Dr. Bill Campion |
| Admin. staff | N/A |
| Undergraduates | 1897 (as of Fall 2013) |
| Location | Ranger, Texas, USA |
| Campus | Rural, 50 acres |
| Endowment | N/A |
| Colors | Purple and white |
| Nickname | Ranger |
| 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.
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 30 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, Texas and Stephenville, Texas.
Ranger College is accredited as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
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.[3] 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.
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.[4] Ranger had only been competing again since 2005, after a 25-year hiatus.[5]
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.[6]
Other notable sports figures who graduated from Ranger College include National Football League wide receiver Johnny Perkins and NCAA coach Billy Gillispie.
References
- ↑ About Us, Ranger College official website.
- ↑ Texas Education Code, Section 130.196, "Ranger Junior College District Service Area".
- ↑ Ranger College Rangers Athletics Home
- ↑ 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.