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Dr. Dennis H. Anderson, an African-American
came to Paducah from Tennessee with a dream to build a
school for African American students in western Kentucky,
and in 1909 West Kentucky Industrial College was established.
 At one point, the institution was the second largest African-American junior
college in the United States. In 1938 West Kentucky Industrial
merged with Kentucky State College and offered teacher
training.
The institution experience numerous changes since its
birth. Its mission was expanded to include a very diverse
student population. Societal changes in the 1960's brought
an increased enrollment of non-African American students
to the campus.
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 My West Kentucky chronicles
the history of the West Kentucky Technical College
from 1909 -1999. (Turner Publishing, 2000)
To purchase a copy of this book, phone the college's
public relations office at (270) 534-3079
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 In 1979 a
new vocational-technical school was completed on land
donated by the Paducah
Junior College (Paducah Community College). This
development resulted in more high-tech programs being
added to the curriculum that attracted an even more diverse
student body. In the mid 1980's Kentucky's system of vocational-technical
schools, known as Kentucky TECH, began a transformation
designed to thrust adult job training technical schools
into the 21st Century.
In 1990 West Kentucky Technical College was one of five
pilot schools that took the reform movement to new heights
by redesigning the school's curricula using a postsecondary
collegiate model. The school officially changed its name
to West Kentucky TECH and was designated a "technical
institute" in 1997 and received a Kentucky TECH "Flag
of Excellence."
In 1997, House Bill 1 established the Kentucky
Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).
On July 1, 1998, West Kentucky Technical College became
one of 15 technical colleges and 13 community colleges
in KCTCS.
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