HCC Turns 80
"In celebrating this anniversary, we continue to honor the vision of our founders, the dedication of generations of faculty and staff, and the accomplishments of the many students and alumni whose lives have been shaped here." – President George Timmons
Holyoke Community College marked its 80th anniversary earlier this month with a cake-cutting celebration during the college’s annual Welcome Back Barbecue.
On Sept. 9, 1946, the Holyoke School Committee voted to establish the Holyoke Graduate School, the first incarnation of what is now HCC. Not quite to the day, but on Sept. 16, 2026, President George Timmons and members of the HCC Board of Trustees sliced up and served an 80th anniversary cake to students, faculty, and staff in the HCC Courtyard.
“For eight decades, HCC has been a place of opportunity, access, and transformation,” President Timmons said. “We have welcomed learners at every stage of life, supported their aspirations, and helped strengthen the communities we serve throughout western Massachusetts and beyond. In celebrating this anniversary, we continue to honor the vision of our founders, the dedication of generations of faculty and staff, and the accomplishments of the many students and alumni whose lives have been shaped here.”
The anniversary coincided with HCC’s annual September barbecue welcoming students back for the fall semester and a new academic year. The 1946-1947 academic year was the college’s first. Now 80, HCC is the oldest community college in Massachusetts.
The anniversary cake – and platters full of anniversary cupcakes – were prepared by the Koffee Kup Bakery in Chicopee.
“We have representatives from our whole community here today, including trustees, administrators, staff, and, most importantly, our students,” said Vanessa Smith, chair of the HCC board of trustees. “After all these years, HCC continues to thrive because of the community that we are and the community that supports us.”
Classes at Holyoke Graduate School were initially conducted in the evenings at the old Holyoke High School on Sargeant Street. The name was changed to Holyoke Junior College in 1947 and to Holyoke Community College in 1964 when it joined the Massachusetts community college system.
In 1968, a fire destroyed the main college building downtown. HCC opened at its present location on Homestead Avenue in 1974.
PHOTOS: (Thumbnail) President George Timmons talks about HCC's 80 year anniversary during the college's annual Welcome Back Barbecue on Sept. 16. (Above) President George Timmons and members of the HCC Board of Trustees get ready to cut a cake marking the college's 80th anniversary. From left to right: Estefany Duron Mejia, Student Government Association president; Trustee Aaron Vega; Trustee Patricia Samra; President George Timmons; and Vanessa Smith, chair of the Board of Trustees.
