Centennial Celebration
Centralia College was founded in September 1925 and is celebrating its centennial in 2025-26. Learn about the history of the college and opportunities to celebrate this important milestone.
Centennial Picnic
11am-3pm Saturday, Sept. 13
Littel Commencement Field
Centralia College
Join us for an old-fashioned family picnic to celebrate Centralia College's 100th birthday!
Bring chairs and a picnic blanket - and leave them on campus to reserve your spot for the 8:30pm drone show sponsored by the City of Centralia.
- Cornhole Tournament
- Ax-throwing
- Mr. Twister Balloons
- Centralia College Centennial Blend Coffee (Mint City Roasters)
- Cotton Candy
- Magic Show
- Make Friendship Bracelets
- Blow Bubbles
- Create Sidewalk Art
- Color our Blazer Mural and Blazer Coloring Books
- Free Popcorn
- Food Trucks and Vendors
Drone Show
After the picnic, leave your blankets and chairs to reserve your viewing spot for the City of Centralia's Sesquicentennial Drone Show! Free and open to all!
11am-3pm Saturday, Sept. 13
Littel Commencement Field
Centralia College
Centralia College History
Centralia College was founded in 1925 and welcomed its first students on Sept. 14, 1925. Classes were held inside Centralia High School. Centralia College welcomed 15 students and six teachers that first fall. No tuition was charged. The columns from the original high school building now stand behind the gym in Heritage Court. Learn more about Centralia College's rich history.
Text-Only Version of the Timeline
1925 – Founded by Centralia superintendent of schools, C.L. Littel, Centralia Junior College opens its doors on Sept. 14 on the third floor of Centralia High School. There are 15 students and six teachers. No tuition is charged.
1927 – The first class – just five students – graduates.
1933 – As a result of the Great Depression, banks close, leaving the college without access to money to pay the bills. Dean Margaret Corbet asks employees to sacrifice their pay. Business leaders in Centralia loan the college money to keep the doors open.
1942 – With America’s launch into World War II, students and college employees buy war stamps and bonds, give blood, and staff an observation post in the middle of Noble Field to watch for enemy planes.
1947 – Soldiers return to school with help from the GI bill. Enrollment surges to 229. The college erects two temporary buildings, adding to the space already shared with the high school.
1950 – Centralia College moves into Kemp Hall, a brick and tile building on West Locust Street.
1953 –The first college library, located in the little white-frame church at the northeast end of campus, opens with 1,256 books.
1957 – The district remodels Lincoln Elementary, renaming it Corbet Hall in honor of Margaret Corbet, the first college dean.
1958 –Ehret Hall is erected on the west end of campus.
1959 – Centralia Junior College drops the ‘junior’ and officially becomes Centralia College.
1963 – With enrollment over 1,000, a new library and student center is built with space for 34,000 books.
1966 – Centralia College names its first college president, Dr. Nels Hanson. Until that point, the college was under the direct leadership of the school district superintendent.
1969 –The college purchases the Centralia High School building, gymnasium, a home economics building and shop, and Noble Field from the school district, doubling the size of the college campus to 12 acres. The old high school, grandstands, and old Lincoln Grade School were demolished to make room for more parking and new buildings, including Corbet Hall.
1975 – The college begins providing education through the Garrett Heyns Educational Center at the Washington State Corrections Center in Shelton.
1982 – A vocational-technical building on King Street is erected, housing the diesel technology, welding, and industrial machine maintenance programs.
1983 – The East County Center (now known as Centralia College East) opens in Morton. In just one year, enrollment doubles from 16 to 37 students.
1988 – Centralia College and its Olympia campus (now called South Puget Sound Community College) split to become two separate colleges in separate districts.
1990 – A new building for the library, counseling and career center, bookstore, registration, and financial aid office is completed. The building is re-named Kirk Library in 2002 to honor former President Hank Kirk.
1991 – The Clocktower is built in the center of campus. This 30-foot wooden structure is the centerpiece of campus.
1993 – The Cornelia Van Prooyen Child Development Center is dedicated, serving 105 children and 170 parents daily.
1997 – Engraved panels are added to the base of the Clocktower. The Clocktower Diversity Project honors those who have worked to advance social change, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Eight panels were added in 1997. Additional panels were added in 2000, 2002, and 2008.
2004 – Centralia College is chosen as home of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy, providing training in energy programs.
2008 – The gymnasium, built in 1935 and the oldest building on campus, gets a facelift and a new name. The expanded space now includes classrooms and training facilities. It would be renamed again in 2013 becoming the Michael Smith Gymnasium.
2009 – A new science building (named Walton Science Center in 2014 after retiring President James Walton) is built, replacing three of the campus’ oldest buildings—Ehret Hall, Batie Science Center, and Lingreen Hall.
2011 - Centralia College assumes oversight of the education center at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Littlerock. Courses include basic education for adults, basic computer classes, and trades programs.
2012 - The Kiser Natural Outdoor Learning Lab (KNOLL) is created across from the science center. This interactive learning space is important for the college’s science and natural resources courses.
2012 – Centralia College launches its first bachelor's degree in Applied Management. CC now offers five bachelor's degrees in a variety of areas - Applied Management, Behavioral Healthcare, Diesel Technology, Software Engineering, and Teacher Education.
2016 – Centralia College’s famed Clocktower gets a total renovation. Rotting wood beams are replaced with a steel structure. The tower gains 10 feet in height.
2017 - The TransAlta Commons is completed and becomes the new student center, a central hub for admissions, advising, financial aid, TRIO, the bookstore, and food services.
2019 - Centralia College begins a partnership with Green Hill School offering college classes to students at the Chehalis juvenile rehabilitation center. Students can earn their associate and bachelor’s degrees.
2022 – Centralia College constructs Bob Peters Field, a new multi-sport athletic complex on the western edge of campus. The field is home to Blazer soccer, baseball, and softball.
2023 – Centralia College partners with Collegiate Housing International to develop on-campus student housing. A new apartment complex opens next to campus on Ash Street and a second apartment building is renovated on Silver Street.
Source: Zander, Julie McDonald. Centralia College Washington’s Oldest Two-Year College Eighty-Nine Years and Counting. Centralia: Gorham Printing, 2014.