History of Paducah Community College

In 1932, the citizens of Paducah and McCracken County embarked on a mission to provide quality education in a municipally supported junior college, known as Paducah Junior College (PJC). These civic minded citizens included Govriel Rosenthal, who served as the head of PJC for a time and who was instrumental in bringing R. G. "Dean" Matheson to PJC as its Dean and later President. Another member of the early board was a prominent local attorney, Tom Waller.

During the next twenty years, PJC outgrew its original building, and a larger classroom/administration building was built at Broadway and Eighth Streets. During the 1950’s, PJC led the way toward racial integration in Kentucky higher education.

By 1964, the college had outgrown its space once again and moved to its present site on Blandville Road/Alben Barkley Drive. In 1968, Paducah Junior College became Paducah Community College (PCC) as part of the University of Kentucky Community College System and served an eight county area. Dr. Donald J. Clemens was appointed Director, and under his leadership, the curriculum, the services, and the campus grew.

In 1991, Dr. Leonard F. O’Hara became President. Under his leadership, the college and the community raised over $8 million to construct an engineering building on campus. This program is part of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. In 1997, PCC became part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). In 2001, construction on the newest addition to the campus, the Challenger Learning Center, was started and opened in the summer 2002.

Also in 2002, Dr. Barbara Veazey was named the new President of Paducah Community College and CEO of the West Kentucky District of KCTCS. Dr. Veazey was the fourth President of PCC and the first CEO of the District.