Del Mar College

Del Mar College. . Now a centerpiece of higher education in the Coastal Bend Region, Del Mar College was established on July 30, 1935, when the people of Corpus Christi voted for a proposition to open a junior college. Classes for Corpus Christi Junior College began in the fall semester of 1935. With 154 initial students, the college offered coursework in business, education, mathematics, social sciences and more. The name was changed to Del Mar College in 1948. Over the years, additional courses were added which attracted a wide variety of students. With this increase in enrollment, Del Mar moved to its east campus location on Baldwin and Ayers in 1942 and opened a west campus in 1958. Two years prior to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, in response to challenges from local African American high school graduates and the NAACP, the Del Mar College Board of Regents voted unanimously to integrate. The college also acted as the location for meetings and speeches amidst the Chicano movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including with the founding of the Del Mar College Mexican American student organization (MASO) in 1969., With the passage of the G.I. Bill in 1944 and close proximity to the Naval Air Station, veterans were always an important part of the college. The school offered athletics, including football, basketball and tennis. Despite numerous awards and championships, the athletics program ended in the 1960s and is now focused on intramural sports. The college also played a strong role in establishing the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and the Texas Jazz Festival. With its educational and community-driven legacy, Del Mar College remains a significant contributor to the quality of life in Corpus Christi and South Texas.