Fullerton College Explained

Fullerton College (FC) is a public community college in Fullerton, California, United States. It is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the oldest community college in continuous operation in California.^{[4] [5] [6]}

History

In April 1913, the governing board of Fullerton Union High School approved a motion to establish a two-year postgraduate course of study at the high school. At this time, Fullerton was primarily an agricultural community, which specialized in the production of citrus produce. Delbert Brunton, who was the Fullerton High principal, established the new Fullerton Junior College to provide such postgraduate study.

Twenty-six freshman students enrolled in the first year, and the school had a curriculum of 10 courses. "In 1922 the college was reorganized as an independent junior college district. After holding classes on the Fullerton Union High School campus for its first 23 years, the college began moving to its own fourteen-acre campus next door in 1936."^[7]

In 2002, North Orange County voters passed a $239 million facilities bond measure, of which nearly $135 million was allotted to Fullerton College. It was used for renovation of current campus facilities and also to construct new facilities. On June 13, 2005, the new library was opened, and a formal dedication occurred on October 28, 2005. A bond measure that passed in 2014 will award the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) $574 million to fund construction and renovation projects for the next 25 years.^[8]

In 2021, the college introduced an American Indian and Indigenous Studies degree program. This was announced with the school's celebration of Indigenous People's Day.^[9]

Campus

The college is located in the city of Fullerton, California, in northern Orange County. The campus is within walking distance of the downtown section.

The Fullerton College library first opened in 1913, in a small section of the Fullerton High School Library. It moved into the high school gymnasium in 1929 and to a small space in the new science building in 1938. A specialized facility was constructed in 1957 and named the William T. Boyce Library in 1962 in honor of William T. Boyce, who served as dean and president from 1918 to 1951.^[10] A new library was constructed and opened on June 13, 2005, and formally dedicated on October 28, 2005.^[11]

Artist-in-residence program

The Fullerton College Art Department hosts a yearly artist-in-residence (AIR) program which was started in 1972 with a visit from painter Wayne Thiebaud.^[12] August 2013 marked the 100th fall semester of the AIR program. It was celebrated with the first exhibit of the entire AIR art collection at the Fullerton College Art Gallery.

Student life

Demographics of student body (spring 2019)^[13] ! !! Undergraduate

African-American	2.50%
American Indian	0.22%
Asian	12.25%
Filipino	2.78%
Hispanic	55.27%
Multiracial	3.12%
Pacific Islander	0.28%
Unknown	5.06%
White Non-Hispanic	18.53%

The students of Fullerton College have established a student body association named Associated Students of Fullerton College. The association is required by law to "encourage students to participate in the governance of the college".^[14]

Associated Students of Fullerton College is a voting member of a statewide community college student organization named Student Senate for California Community Colleges. The statewide Student Senate is authorized by law "to advocate before the Legislature and other state and local governmental entities".^[15]

Notable alumni

Actors and artists

• Harry Anderson – actor, comedian, and magician^{[16] [17] [18]}
• Florence Arnold – painter^[19]
• Nathan Baesel – actor^[20]
• Bill Blackbeard – writer^[21]
• James Cameron – Academy Award-winning movie director and screenwriter; explorer of the seas;^[22] attended Fullerton College 1973–1974
• William Conrad – actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio (Gunsmoke), film (The Killers) and television (Cannon)^[23]
• Eden Espinosa – actress and singer
• Ruby Berkley Goodwin – actress^[24]
• Renee Griffin – actress
• Jason Scott Lee – actor
• Matthew Lillard – actor
• Ryan O'Donohue – actor^[25]
• Mitch Pileggi – actor
• Jerome Ranft – sculptor^[26]
• Steven Seagal – actor and martial artist
• Melissa Villaseñor – actress, comedian, and former Saturday Night Live cast member^[27]
• Cress Williams – actor, appeared in numerous TV shows including Beverly Hills, 90210, , NYPD Blue, ER, Becker, Nash Bridges, Providence, Black Lightning

Music

• Tim Buckley – singer-songwriter^[28]
• Jack Cooper – composer, arranger, instrumentalist^[29]
• Leo Fender – founder of the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company^[30]
• Bobby Hatfield – singer and member of The Righteous Brothers^[31]
• Scheila Gonzalez – Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist^[29]
• Kye Palmer – trumpet player, The Tonight Show Band^[29]
• Dan Radlauer – composer
• Mark D. Sanders – songwriter
• Gwen Stefani – lead singer of band No Doubt and fashion designer^[32]

Politics

• Sallie Fiske – LGBTQ activist^[33]
• Pat Nixon – wife of former President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady of the United States 1969–1974^[34]
• Sharon Quirk-Silva – member of the California State Assembly^[35]
• Cruz Reynoso – former associate justice of the Supreme Court of California 1982–1987^[36]
• Cristian Terheș – member of the European Parliament for Romania^[37]
• Mike Wilson – member of the Kentucky Senate^[38]

Sports

• Sharron Backus – college softball player and head coach
• Bill Bathe – former MLB catcher
• Marvin Burns – water polo player and former Olympic player
• Justin Carter – professional basketball player^[39]
• Bobby Cramer – MLB pitcher^[40]
• Steve DeBerg – former NFL quarterback
• Bobby Dye – college basketball player and head coach
• Jim Fassel – NFL, UFL, and college football coach^{[41] [42]}
• Robert Frojen – water polo player and former Olympic player
• Lynn Hill – climber^[43]
• Mike Horan – former NFL kicker
• Bob Horn – water polo goalie and former Olympic player
• Al Hrabosky – former MLB pitcher
• Don Johnson – college basketball player and coach^[44]
• Ron Johnson – former MLB player and minor league manager
• Bill Johnson – Olympian swimmer
• Steve Kiefer – former MLB player
• Howie Livingston – former NFL player
• Larry Mac Duff – former NFL and college coach
• Kevin McLain – former American football linebacker in the NFL, played for the Los Angeles Rams^[45]
• Monte Nitzkowski – swimmer and water polo player^[46]
• Brian Noble – former NFL linebacker
• Doug Nordquist – track and field high jumper and former Olympic player
• Brig Owens – former NFL player
• J. C. Pearson – former NFL player
• John Pease – former NFL and college coach
• Jerry Pimm – college basketball player and head coach
• Floyd Rhea – former NFL player
• Rick Sloan – track and field decathlete and former Olympic player
• Dan Stevens – former MLB player
• Steve Trachsel – former MLB pitcher
• Dave Wilson – former NFL quarterback
• John Young – former MLB player

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2016-2017 Annual Report. Fullerton College News Center. May 23, 2018.
2. Web site: Enrollment Status Summary Report-Fullerton College. CCC Chancellor's Office. September 5, 2019.
3. Web site: Office of Campus Communications .
4. Web site: Fullerton College - Public Information. https://web.archive.org/web/20070505203437/http://publicinfo.fullcoll.edu/about/history.htm. dead. 2007-05-05. 2007-05-05.
5. Web site: Fullerton College. CaliforniaColleges.com. en. 2018-03-10.
6. News: Focus: Orange County Community News : Fullerton. Whang. Jin. 1999-09-23. Los Angeles Times. 2018-03-10. en-US. 0458-3035.
7. Web site: Fullerton College - Public Information. https://web.archive.org/web/20070613100427/http://publicinfo.fullcoll.edu/about/history.htm. dead. 2007-06-13. 2007-06-13.
8. Web site: Fullerton College . 2017-03-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170225211621/http://www.fullcoll.edu/bondprojects/ . 2017-02-25 . dead .
9. Web site: 2021-10-04 . FC Celebrates Indigenous People's Day on Oct. 11 . 2023-01-06 . Fullerton College News Center . en-US.
10. Web site: December 18, 2007. The History of the Library on its 75th Anniversary. https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200525/http://library.fullcoll.edu/2007libraryhistory75.html. May 11, 2008. March 10, 2017. College Information Resource Center.
11. Web site: 2015. About – Fullerton College Library. March 10, 2017. Fullerton College.
12. News: 2013-09-11. Fullerton College's 100th fall semester in full swing. en-US. Orange County Register. 2018-03-10.
13. Web site: California Community College Chancellor's Office-Data Mart. 2019-09-05.
14. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&sectionNum=76060. Section 76060
15. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=76060.5.&lawCode=EDC Section 76060.5
16. Web site: Fullerton College Centennial Celebration Did You Know?. 2020-11-06. fullertoncollegecentennial.com.
17. Web site: 1991-10-27. Orange Country Community Colleges. 2020-11-06. Los Angeles Times. en-US.
18. Book: Craig, Sheldon. https://books.google.com/books?id=AGEEAAAAMBAJ&q=harry+Anderson++fullerton+college&pg=PA95. Orange Coast Magazine. July 1987. Emmis Communications. en. Local Luminaries.
19. News: Fullerton Artist Says There's an Art to Living. ANGEL. SHERRY. 1990-09-14. Los Angeles Times. 2018-04-27. en-US. 0458-3035.
20. Web site: The Rise of Nathan Baesel. Joel. Beers. OC Weekly. October 19, 2006. October 20, 2006.
21. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/arts/design/bill-blackbeard-comic-strip-champion-dies-at-84.html?_r=1 Fox, Margalit. "Bill Blackbeard, Comic Strip Champion, Dies at 84". The New York Times, April 29, 2011.
22. Book: Keller, Alexandra. James Cameron. Routledge. 2014. 978-1134700219.
23. Kahana, Yoram, "The Wolfe Man in His Lair." The Australian Women's Weekly, January 29, 1982, pp. 95–96. Retrieved from the National Library of Australia, May 27, 2013
24. Web site: Alumni Stories: Ruby Berkeley Goodwin. 2021-02-17. Fullerton College Centennial Celebration.
25. Web site: Ryan ODonohue Official Facebook Page - About . facebook.com.
26. Web site: For Pixar Artist, Success began at a Community College. hawaii.edu. 2019-09-06. Tyrone-Mikaele. Ota.
27. Web site: Whittier woman a 'Talent' finalist. Venusse. Navid. July 29, 2011. July 21, 2023. Whittier Daily News.
28. Web site: Biographies . 2025-03-18 . timbuckley.net.
29. http://music.fullcoll.edu/conn_alumni.php Fullerton College Music Department, Alumni Biographical page
30. Web site: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Leo Fender. France. Pauline. 2017-08-15. Fender.com. en-US. 2020-05-26.
31. Bobby Hatfield Dies at 63; Righteous Brothers Tenor. Sisario. Bobby. November 7, 2003. The New York Times. en-US. 2020-05-26.
32. Book: Roach, Martin. Dr. Martens: The Story of an Icon. Chrysalis Impact. 2003. 1844110117.
33. News: Woo . Elaine . Obituaries; Sallie Fiske, 75; Gay Activist, Pioneering Television Journalist . . March 2, 2004 . B12 . October 17, 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210310072540/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-02-me-fiske2-story.html . 2021-03-10 .
34. http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=38 First Lady Biography: Pat Nixon
35. Web site: About Sharon. Sharon Quirk-Silva for Assembly 2018 - District 65. en-US. 2018-12-10.
36. News: Law school taps expertise of former justice . Easley . Julia Ann . March 30, 2001 . Dateline UC Davis . University of California, Davis . Davis, CA . June 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613032226/http://dateline.ucdavis.edu/033001/reynoso.html . June 13, 2011.
37. Web site: Ce avere are Chris Terheș, candidat al PSD la euroalegeri. . April 2, 2019 .
38. Web site: Senator Mike Wilson (R) . . . May 6, 2014 . January 17, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190117192941/http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislator/S032.htm . dead .
39. Web site: Justin Carter, Division I starter . gazette.net . April 22, 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170217134728/http://www.gazette.net/stories/01142009/olnespo101546_32485.shtml . February 17, 2017.
40. Web site: Bobby Cramer Stats. Baseball Almanac . December 21, 2012.
41. Book: Gallagher, Bradley N. . Tips from the Top: Advice for a Young Person from 125 of America's Most Successful People . Trafford Publishing . 2003 . 141200151X . 242.
42. News: Odds are Jim Fassel is never coaching in the NFL again . Simer . T.J. . October 25, 2010 . . March 16, 2018 . en-US. 0458-3035.
43. Book: Hill . Lynn . Child . Greg . Greg Child . Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World . 2002 . W. W. Norton & Co . New York . 978-0-393-04981-7 . 131.
44. News: Steve. Kresal. Cypress' Johnson Is Stepping Down. February 9, 1994. Los Angeles Times. C9. Newspapers.com. April 23, 2024.
45. Web site: Kevin Mclain . databaseFootball.com . December 21, 2012 . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20121007144530/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MCLAIKEV01 . October 7, 2012 .
46. Web site: Monte Nitzkowski Inducted Into UCLA Athletics Hall Of Fame . 2008-05-07 . UCLA Water Polo . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080211135933/http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-wpolo/spec-rel/100406aaa.html . 2008-02-11 .