Navarro History
In spring of 1946, a group of local citizens met to form a steering committee for the purpose of establishing a junior college in Navarro County. In a general election held July 16, 1946, voters approved the creation of Navarro Junior College and authorized a county tax to help finance the institution. In that same election voters chose a seven-member board of trustees to govern the college. The first students began classes in September, 1946. Most of the 238 members of that first student body were returning veterans from World War II taking advantage of assistance available under the newly enacted GI Bill®. The first campus of Navarro College was the site of the Air Activities of Texas, a World War II primary flight school located six miles south of Corsicana.
In 1951, the campus was moved to its present location, a 47-acre tract west of downtown Corsicana on State Highway 31. The main campus has now expanded to 103 acres with dozens of buildings. In 1954, Navarro was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The accreditation was reaffirmed in 1964, 1974, 1985, 1995, 2006, and again in 2017.
In 1974, the college broadened its philosophy and purpose to encompass the comprehensive community-based educational concept, adding occupational education programs and implementing new education concepts including individualized and self-paced instruction and the use of audio-tutorial instructional media. In keeping with the new educational role, the word “junior” was dropped from the institution’s name, and the official name Navarro College was adopted by the Board of Trustees.
Mexia, Midlothian and Waxahachie Campuses
In an attempt to address the growing needs of its service area, which consists of Navarro, Ellis, Freestone, Limestone, and Leon counties, the college began offering courses in various locations in those areas. Therefore, Navarro College established two permanent centers, the Navarro College South at Mexia and the Ellis County Center at Waxahachie. Later, a third off-campus center was added in Midlothian. Today, Internet is the fastest-growing area of instruction at Navarro. We now also offer hundreds of Internet course offerings each semester. Navarro College truly offers the ways and means for every student to reach his/her educational goals.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
