From humble beginnings, pero con mucho corazón, Laredo Junior College was founded with a promise to serve our community through the transformative power of higher education. Eighty years later, Laredo College serves thousands of students and continues to bring our community together through its vibrant culture and enduring commitment to education, offering bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and a wide array of certificates.
Kicking off its 80th Anniversary celebration at both the Ft. McIntosh Campus and the South Campus, Laredo College administrators, faculty, staff and students gathered Monday morning for a celebration honoring 80 years as the pioneer of higher education in Laredo.
From the site’s origins as Camp Crawford, established in 1849 and later renamed Fort McIntosh after Lt. Col. James Simmons McIntosh, the grounds that would eventually become home to Laredo College have a long history of service to the community.
Laredo College’s history, however, began in 1946 when the Laredo Independent School District (LISD) created the Laredo Municipal Junior College District. As the first higher education institution in Laredo, LJC was created to prepare returning World War II soldiers for America’s new workforce.
Laredo College President Dr. Minita Ramírez recognized the LISD Board of Trustees that made this monumental decision, which included Trustees J.C. Martin, B.G. Salinas, A.R. Moser, Abelardo Salinas, Antonio Valls, C.L. Milton and Leon Daiches, along with Superintendent J.W. Nixon and Auditor E.A. Leyendecker.
“These individuals were visionaries. They recognized that access to higher education could uplift our community, create opportunities for generations of students and strengthen the future of our region,” Dr. Ramírez said. “While they could not have imagined everything this institution would become, they believed in the power of education to transform lives. Eighty years later, their vision lives on through every student who walks through our doors and every employee who dedicates themselves to serving others.”
In Laredo Junior College’s first year, 13 students were awarded Associate of Arts degrees. In the decades following the board’s initial decision, the college grew into a two-campus district that currently serves more than 12,000 students across Webb, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties. Each of those students has an opportunity to work toward an education of their choosing that will ultimately lead to greater success in their future.
At the turn of the millennium, the winds of change continued to move the college toward further progress.
Laredo Junior College was renamed Laredo Community College in 1993 and later Laredo College in 2018. Along with these name changes came new facilities designed to facilitate student success. The 1967 campus master plan guided the construction of many of the facilities students see and use to this day. These include the Joaquin G. Cigarroa Science Complex, the Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Center and the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. These improvements culminated in a bond approval in 2000, when 83 percent of Laredo voters approved the construction of the LC South Campus.
The South Campus now serves as the home of the College of Health Sciences, where local nurses and allied health professionals are trained. Additionally, the Camilo Prada Child Development Center allows LC Child Development Program students to gain hands-on experience in a state-of- the-art lab.
As Laredo College kicks off this year-long celebration, we honor our past, celebrate our present and look ahead to a bright future.