Chapter 4: Establishing the Board and the District Board minutes now become a major source of information and will be used liberally for hereon. It is assumed that anyone reading this would have an interest in following the Board meetings in the early days of the District. The District Gets Underway The new Board of Trustees, and their primary supporters in the community, got right to work to establish and plan the new District. This section will look at their step-by-step planning and implementation process of the first six months, culminating in the hiring or a Superintendent/President and Vice President in the summer of 1966. The Trustees of the new junior college district were indeed pioneers, but they were not really starting from scratch. Since the end of World War II, 35 new colleges had been created in California, nearly double the number created before the slowdown when the depression hit. The growth had been so significant the State Department of Education created a separate bureau of oversee the laws and regulations affecting junior colleges and to provide assistance to colleges. There were plenty of models for the new Trustees to go by, including South County Junior College District (Chabot College) right in their own back yard. In 1961 alone Chabot College was approved by the voters in January, a bond for new campus construction passed in April, a Superintendent/President was hired, and classes began in temporary facilities in September. Construction of a permanent campus began in 1964 and was occupied in 1966. Thus, the new Trustees had a fairly well established road map to follow to implement their own junior college. First Official Board Meeting: January 3, 1966 The first official meeting of the newly elected Board of Trustees was conducted on January 3, 1966, in the Library of John F. Kennedy High School in Fremont. The Trustees were sworn in and by Mr. Rock La Fleche, Superintendent of Schools of Alameda Country. Representing Newark were: Mr. Wesley Sears and Rev. Travis Campbell; representing Fremont were: Dr. Marilyn Blawie, Mr. John Costello, Dr. Lyle Edmison, Mr. Abraham Hochler, and Mr. Charles B. Snow. In accordance with county Election Code (25413) the Trustees were assigned staggered terms in accordance with the county Election Code: Trustees Campbell, Edmison, Sears and Snow were assigned to 3 ½ year terms through June 30, 1969; and Trustees Blawie, Costello and Hochler were assigned terms 1 ½ year terms through Jun 30, 1967.
Election of officers was then conducted with Trustee Sears being chosen as Board President, Trustee Edmison as Vice-President, and Trustee Snow as Secretary. Dr. Jerry Hightower, President of the Optimist Club of Fremont, presented a gavel and block to the new President of the Board. Mr. Sears thanked him and thanked the other members of the Board for their confidence in him, and also thanked the public for their support. Mr. Maurice Marks, representing the Independent Insurance Agents Association, presented name plates to each member of the Board. Desk pen sets were presented as follows: Mr. Joe Alter, on behalf of the Fremont Kiwanis Club, to Trustee Snow Mr. Don Drollman, President of the Irvington Businessmen’s Association, to Trustee Edmison Mr. Paul Gygax, on behalf of the Newark Chamber of Commerce and the Newark Kiwanis Club, to Trustee Sears Mr. Irving Alameda, President of the Central Fremont Lions Club, to Trustee Hochler Mr. Hank Miller, President of the Mission Peak Kiwanis Club, to Trustee Blawie Mr. George Kincaid, on behalf of the Newark Chamber of Commerce and the Newark Kiwanis Club, to Trustee Campbell Mr. Bill Bickard, representing the Independent Insurance Agents Association of Fremont, Newark and Union City, to Trustee Costello Mr. Gus Robertson presented a minute book to Secretary Snow, which was a gift from Ledeen’s Stationary and Office Supply. Board President Sears thank all of the donors and also thanked Mr. Fred Dugas of the Dugas Printing Company for printing the invitations to the organizational meeting, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce for furnishing the refreshments at the end of the meeting, and Mr. Gus Robertson for his efforts in arranging for the meeting and presentations. The Trustees then voted unanimously to formally adopt the name “FremontNewark Community College District” (FNCCD) (1/3/66 Board Minutes, Appendix 7.). They quickly began setting up the college with the goal of starting classes in September of that year. Letters of congratulations were read and filed from Angelo Siracusa, the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the FUSD Board of Education. First Board Meeting, Continued, January 12, 1966 A letter from Dr. Rasmussen was read reporting a $108.00 surplus from the campaign to form the District and suggested it be held by the Board to help fund the eventual campaign for a bond to build a permanent campus. He also lightly
chastised the Board for using the Kennedy High School library without proper permission. The Board discussed four possible locations for their meetings:
Library of the John F. Kennedy High School The Instructional Materials Center at the Centerville School The Board Room of the Fremont Unified School District The Board Room of the Newark Unified School District
The Board approved the Library of the John F. Kennedy High School as the site for their meetings. It is assumed they had the proper permission at this point. The Board received two letters that were bellwethers of things to come. One was from local realtor Jim Critchfield forwarding maps for a proposed college site on Jarvis and Newark Boulevard at a cost $12,500 per acre (this site came up later in the selection process). The second was a request from Worsley, Rankin and Williamson architectural firm for consideration when the Board moves to select an architect for the permanent campus project. The selection of a permanent campus site and an architect to direct the planning would be dominating issues over the next 18 months. The Board voted that Trustees would “chip in” to rent a post office box as an official mailing address for correspondence and business. Second Board Meeting, January 19, 1966 Given the fast track set by Chabot College, the Trustees were initially optimistic about being able to start classes in that first year. The sooner classes could begin, the sooner state aid would come in the form of apportionment for attendance. This meeting was a “work session” for the Trustees to address the numerous issues and tasks ahead of them. To assist they had gathered a group of experts in starting junior colleges: Mr. Rock La Fleche, Superintendent of Schools of Alameda County Mr. Robert Coney, Deputy Superintendent of the County School Office Mr. Gerald D. Cresci, State Department of Education, Sacramento Mr. Marion Sloss, State Department of Education, Sacramento Mr. Frederick Sullivan, President, Trustee, South County Junior College District Dr. Robert Smithwick, President and Trustee, Foothill Junior College District Mr. Larry Sylva, Director of New Construction, FUSD The discussions covered a number of key topics:
Selecting and hiring a Superintendent/President/ and administrative staff Finding a temporary location for administrative offices and purchasing furniture and equipment
Selecting and hiring faculty, both full and part time Adopting qualifications by which to hire faculty Determining when to start offering classes and what those initial classes should be Identifying a temporary location or locations for classes Passing a bond for the construction of a permanent campus Finding and purchasing a site for the permanent campus [real estate offers were already being made] Finding an architect to design the new campus [firms were already coming forward asking to be considered]
In the one action item on the agenda the Trustees passed Board Resolution #1 to borrow $10,000 from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for initial operating expenses. Third Board Meeting, January 26, 1966 The Board addressed the goal of starting classes in September 1966. The topics of the discussion included: Quality of education Recruitment of faculty Number of course offerings Temporary facilities Day or afternoon and evening programs Objectives of the college Based on the discussion, the Board voted to delay the start of classes until September 1967. Ayes: Blawie, Campbell, Edmison, Sears, Snow; Noes: Costello, Hochler. As will be seen, this did not settle the issue. The Board voted to go into a private “personnel session” to discuss qualifications for an “interim administrator” and review applications that had been received. A member of the audience, Professor James Blawie (husband of Trustee Blawie) warned that such a session would be a violation of the Brown Act. The Board proceeded to meet in the private session and afterwards announced some of the names and qualifications of those being considered. The complete minutes for the January 3, 12, 19 and 26 Board meetings are presented in Appendix 7 to provide the reader with the full breadth of items being addressed by the new Board. Fourth Board Meeting, February 2, 1966 The Board felt it important to have a written statement of general goals and objectives for the District, particularly to set a framework of intent to communicate to potential administrators, staff and faculty. Dr. Edmison and Mr. Costello were assigned to prepare a draft statement.
Mr. Hochler, Dr. Blawie and Reverend Campbell were assigned to prepare a list of recommended qualifications for the position of Superintendent of the District. Mr. Sears and Mr. Snow were assigned the task of locating office space for the District offices. The Board voted to use the title of President instead of Superintendent for the chief administrator position. A compromise would later be reached to use the title Superintendent/President. In recent years the title President/Superintendent is more commonly used. Arrangements were made to use secretarial help from Newark Unified School District for board meetings with cost to be reimbursed when funds were available. A full time secretary for the District would be hired after the hiring of an “interim administrator.” Procedures for hiring the interim administrator were discussed and outreach to other districts, universities and the State Superintendent of Instruction was planned. Mr. Hochler proposed a study group be formed to determine if a September 1966 start of classes was feasible. This was defeated 6-1. Reverend Campbell stressed the importance of strict confidence regarding personnel sessions. Fifth Board Meeting, February 16, 1966 Dr. Edmison and Mr. Costello presented the draft statement of general goals and objectives for the District and it was unanimously approved as follows: The Fremont Newark Junior College District has been established to provide opportunities for educational experiences beyond high school to all youth and adults in the area. It is committed to excellence in programs which:
Emphasize the dignity and worth of the individual Provide content and analytical methodology by which to examine the disciplines which of occupied the minds of men Ensure occupational competence for entry into appropriate vocational fields Magnify the language of words and numbers Extend the ability to appreciate the creative arts Foster keener no understanding of political principles and development Nurture ethical intuition for greater awareness of justice among men
Mr. Sears reported on his research for temporary District office sites, including Niles Elementary School, Western Title, Peralta, Stephenson and Lewis facilities.
A suite of rooms in the Lewis Professional Center at 5920 Thornton Avenue in Newark had the lowest monthly rent, $290. Mr. Sears was assigned to follow up and visit the facility and prepare a rental agreement. Only three applications were received for the interim administrator position. It was suggested the search continue on an individual basis and have a “personnel session” at the next meeting (February 23) and set March 2 as an interview date. Sixth Board Meeting, February 23, 1966 The Board finalized the brochure for the Superintendent/President recruitment Lengthy discussion ensued regarding the terms of the contract, negotiability, and moving expenses. The Board then approved July 1, 1966 as the start date for the position. Trustees then voted to set a salary at no less than $20,000 per year. The vote was 4-3; Ayes: Blawie, Edmison, Hochler and Snow; Noes: Campbell, Costello and Sears. The three Trustees voting “no” asked that the record show they were prepared to approve a higher salary. Rental of a suite of rooms in the Lewis Professional Center at 5920 Thornton Avenue in Newark for temporary administrative offices at a monthly rent of $290 was approved. Hiring a Temporary Administrator On March 8, 1966 the Board hired Mr. Lloyd Messersmith as part time interim administrator until July 1. He was a 33-year-old doctoral student in junior college administration at UC Berkeley and was working with the University of California Center for the Study of Higher Education. He had been coordinator of the Chilean Regional College Program, and dean of students and a counselor at Highline College in Washington State. He was selected from a pool of seven other applicants and was assigned to work 20 hours per week at a salary of $750 per month. The April 5, 1966 Board meeting was the first to be held in the new temporary District offices on Thornton Avenue in Newark. At that meeting Mr. Messersmith reported he was working on a budget proposal for the 1966-67 year and a curriculum needs assessment questionnaire to be distributed to Fremont and Newark high school students. He was also developing a series of inter-district attendance agreements with neighboring junior college districts to allow students from Fremont and Newark to attend the junior college of their choice. For tax purposes, these needed to be finalized by July 1, 1966. Mr. Messersmith also indicated they had received between 40 and 50 “valid” applications for the Superintendent/President position. He pointed out that his office was only serving to process the applications and not involved in any formal screening.
To oversee and expedite the hiring process for the Superintendent/President a screening committee was formed headed up by Dr. Leland Medsker, acting chairman for the Center for Higher Education at the University of California. Other members included Dr. Basil Peterson, President Emeritus of the California Junior College Association and one-time economics professor at California State University, Hayward, and Dr. Harry Buttimer, Dean of Instruction at San Francisco City College. The committee evaluated and narrowed the final pool of 65 applicants from across the United States down to 10 in late May. The Board interviewed the top six candidates and selected the top three in rank order. A Superintendent/President and Vice President Are Hired On June 21, 1966 the Board hired Dr. Stephen E. Epler as the first Superintendent/President. Dr. Epler had a B.A. in Education from Cotner College in Lincoln Nebraska; a Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and his doctorate from the Columbia University Teachers College in New York City. His salary was set at just under $25,000. The 57-year-old Epler was a former naval officer and had 33 years of experience in education. His administrative experience began as Dean of Men at Southern Oregon College. Following a three-year stint in in the Navy as a training officer, Epler returned to Oregon as a veteran’s counselor for the Oregon State System of Higher Education. While with the Oregon State System he developed the idea of offering lower division college classes in Portland’s Vanport public housing project and he was named administrator of the program. In 1948 the Columbia River overflowed its banks and all but wiped out the fledgling college. Under Epler’s leadership, the college was rebuilt. It later became what is now Portland State College. An interesting addendum to Epler's early career is the fact that he devised the game of six man football in 1935. The game was played by many small high schools throughout the country as well as being the part of many city recreation programs. In 1956 Dr. Epler left Vanport to become Superintendent of the Reedley High School District, in Central California. He was asked to help plan and pass a bond to build a campus for Reedley Junior College, which had been housed in the high school since it was established in 1926. The bond passed and the campus was built. Dr. Epler stayed in Reedley until 1960 when he was hired to be Superintendent/ President of the College of Marin in the north San Francisco Bay Area. One of the Reedley high school students at the time was a young man by the name of Floyd Hogue. Floyd graduated from Reedley High School in 1957 and enrolled in Reedley Junior College. Two years later in 1959 he was a member of the college’s first graduating class on the new campus. Thirty-five years later, in 1994, Dr. Floyd Hogue was named President/ Superintendent of Ohlone College, the fourth in succession from Dr. Epler.
An interesting addendum to Epler's career is the fact that he devised the game of six man football in 1935. The game was played by many small high schools throughout the country as well as being the part of many city recreation programs. On July 6, 1966 the Board hired Dr. James Duke as Vice President of the college. Dr. Duke earned his B.A. and Master’s degrees from Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge and doctorate in educational administration from the University of Southern California. Duke had been Director of Planning and Research at College of Marin since September 1965, which included responsibility for the building program. Before coming to Marin he was College Facility Planner in the California State College Chancellor’s Office from 1962 until 1965. The position entailed reviewing and evaluating the educational programs of the state colleges. For the six years prior to 1962 Duke was Building Coordinator for Long Beach State College. Dr. Epler’s experience in starting new institutions, particularly Reedley College, was certainly attractive to the Board, as was Dr. Duke’s construction management experience at College of Marin. The fact that they were working together already at Marin was surely a factor in the decision making of the Board. Also at the July 6 Board meeting Trustees unanimously approved a resolution commending Mr. Messersmith on his fine service to the District. A year later Dr. Epler would inform the Board that Mr. Messersmith was appointed as Executive Secretary of the California Junior College Association.