Back in Time - Central Wyoming College

Central Wyoming College faculty and graduating class
(click image to enlarge)
yellow star is over my head
May 1971

Central Wyoming College (CWC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and I am proud to be an alum of this small community college. By the time I graduated from high school (1969), CWC had graduated two classes. To increase the student body in those early years when the college had no dormitories, the college paid students to drive. Having the option of living at home and attending college was an attractive proposition. I received my Associates' Degree in 1971 and was a member of the third graduating class of Central Wyoming College. More about the college's history can be found on Wikipedia. After graduation, I attended the University of Wyoming (UW) in Laramie, Wyoming, and graduated in the summer of 1973 with my Bachelor's Degree in education, with minors in theater and speech. CWC prepared me well for my transition to UW.

The campus had three buildings: one held all the administration offices, the library, and a small student union; another contained the classrooms, a lecture hall, and the faculty offices; a maintenance building set off to the side. The physical education classes were held in local high schools: I drove to St. Stephens for my early morning tennis class, and to the Riverton bowling alley for bowling.

Many local people didn't think CWC would be successful and often referred to it as Harvard on the Hill; however, it has flourished.

Over the years, the campus has grown and the original buildings have been remodeled several times. The campus now includes: dormitories and apartments; tennis and basketball courts; gymnasium and sports programs; large student union and cafeteria; performing arts building for art, music, theater, dance; health science building for nursing, computer and applied science, physical science; vocational building for construction, welding, auto mechanics; a large library, production studio for Wyoming PBS and a college radio station, and probably others.

The college even has satellite locations in Lander, Jackson, and Dubois.

Earlier posts about CWC can be found here