Yavapai College
Although not designed as a repository for historic artifacts, Yavapai College, at its various locations in the county, does have objects that might be of interest to the researcher. Most of the objects listed on the accompanying CD ROM are in plain public view; a few are in storage.
History of Yavapai College
In December of 1965, the first public meetings were held to discuss the possibility of creating a junior college in Yavapai County. There are some indications that local citizens wanted to prepare area youth for the advantages offered by Prescott College, an elite four-year institution that was scheduled to open in 1966. However, more generally speaking, Yavapai College was conceived of as being the place where the young people of Yavapai County could prepare to transfer to any college or university. It was also a place where they could develop the skills necessary for creating a better life for themselves and for the communities throughout the County.
Two people seem to have highlighted the first planning meetings, held late in 1965. The first was the enthusiastic president of the Prescott PTA, Opal (Mrs. Merle) Allen; the second was Dr. Taylor Hicks, a member of the Board of Regents of Junior Colleges in Arizona. It was Mrs. Allen's hope that the PTA could educate the local citizens regarding the need for a junior college. Dr. Hicks provided the knowledge of the nascent junior college movement in Arizona.
Early in 1966 organizers formed a steering committee, and by November the voters approved the formation of a Junior College District in Yavapai County. One year after the movement was initiated, the Yavapai County District Junior College Board was formed and the present Prescott site was chosen. Future growth plans indicated that a campus would be built in Cottonwood, and 120 acres were donated by Gulf States Land and Industries for this purpose. Eventually, local enthusiasm coupled with state approval, built enough strength to warrant a bond election, which was held in May of 1967. The bond passed.
After the architectural firm of Bennie M. Gonzales and Associates of Phoenix was chosen, the Prescott land, adjacent to Fort Whipple, was leased from the BLM, and the first official class was held in the fall of 1968. By the following fall (1969), the college was operating in borrowed space, educating 593 students. In October the first dormitory was completed, and the Prescott campus was officially dedicated the following fall.
The Prescott campus remains the largest in the college, followed by the campus in Cottonwood. However, since its conception, the college has offered classes throughout the county-from Bagdad to Seligman. This countywide service continues; in addition, permanent "community" campuses are located in Sedona, Chino Valley and Prescott Valley, and there are plans to extend this service to other areas of the county. Physical campuses are now supplemented with "distance delivery" aided by television and computers. The latest bond election, held in the fall of 2000, has provided $69,000,000 to renovate and expand the college's facilities.
Today the college has approximately 1100 full and part time employees including a full time faculty of 95 and approximately 340 adjuncts. It serves 11, 645 students a year. These students represent all age groups and come to the college and with a wide variety of educational needs and expectations.
Although the college is relatively new, several important artifacts are located on its various campuses. They are listed in detail on the accompanying CD ROM, but we would like to note that, in addition to art works and some artifacts found in the Fitzmaurice Ruin, the college has the original chandeliers from the Elks Building, and the gate to the Performance Hall was originally a gate for Fort Whipple.
ARTIFACTS
Building Components:
Carpet, fragment of original YC carpet used in first classrooms, Great Western Bank 1967-68 (in archives room of Boyd Tenney Library)
Chandeliers in lobby of Performance Hall: from Don Head Estate: one was in tact and hung in the Elks building; the other was in a box in pieces
Flooring, piece of original flooring of YC, 1968 (in archives room of Boyd Tenney Library)
Site Feature:
Gates to Ft. Whipple, moved to present location by YC Performance Hall, built in 1991
Written Communication T&E
Seal, Official Yavapai College seal first used in 1969, "Arizona State System of Junior Colleges 1967" (in archives room of Boyd Tenney Library)
Art
Artist's Proof, Joe Beeler, "Early Spring," no date in Building #1
Bronze sculpture, Jack Osmer, approximately 8 x 12, by Jack Osmer (1981) from design of Solon Borglon's 1907 statue of Bucky O'Neil, called Bucky: #88 of 300, Embedded in small rock, ID 14-1075 (located in Boyd Tenney Library)
Drawing, Ed Branson, collage and other media (part of parade series) 1976 (12x18, famed) stored in District Office
Drawing, Ed Branson, rodeo scene, Building #1, Prescott Campus
Drawing, Ed Branson, drawing of skeletons (24x36), 1968-69, Building #4, Prescott Campus
Drawing, Lee Anna Stevens, Macaws, pencil and ink (or print) 12-18 framed
Painting, George Phippen, roundup scene, donated by Mrs. George Phippen 1982, Building #1, Prescott Campus
Painting, Valeria Trout, "Goin' Home" donated by Mr. Mrs. Earl J. Williams, undated, Building #1 Prescott Campus
Print, Ray Swanson, Western Scene Building #1, Prescott Campus
Sculpture, David Gabaldon, large metal sculptural in front of Boyd Tenney Library
Sculpture, Pieces on Plaza done by students during Art in Architecture Workshops, presented by Charles Clement (Tucson) early 1970s to early 1980s, Prescott Campus
Sculpture, metal reliefs, Bill Pauley, 1973 (got permission from Yavapai Tribe to use images and permission from Viola Jimulla to do one I her honor), on wall of Building #1 by bookstore Prescott Campus
Sculpture, telephone pole pieces, Kit Carson, participant of Art in Architecture Workshops who went on to exhibit in Santa Fe and Cave Creek, Prescott Campus
Documentary artifacts
Ledger, Original check ledger of YC professional association, fall 1971 (in archives room of Boyd Tenney Library)
Trophy: 3" nigh bronze seated cowboy, Float 1973 Prescott Frontier Days, Building #1, Prescott Campus
Indian Artifacts
Most of the following objects are located in the YC Library on the Cottonwood Campus Library. They were excavated from the Fitzmaurice site by YC personnel (headed by Franklin Barnett) and the 1975 Adult Workshop Class in Archaeology.
III. Personal Artifacts, Indian
Adornment, Indian
Pendant, shell (2) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Pendant, shell, fragment, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Pendant, argillite (2), from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
IV. Tools and Equipment for materials
Armaments T&E, Indian
Projectile point (2) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Food Processing T&E, Indian
Abrading slab, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Cores (2), from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Fleshers (2), from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Grinding stones, (3), from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Mano (5) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Metate with matching mano from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Metate and mano, unattributed, stored in District Office
Metate and mano, various (approximately 30), unattributed, stored in Building #3, Prescott Campus
Shaft abrader (3) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Food Serving T&E, Indian
Bowl, Tuzigoot plain, (2) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Bowl, Tuzigoot red (3) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Bowl, Verde Brown, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Bowl, Verde Red, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Bowl, Verde, black on gray (2) from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Dish, Tuzigoot red, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Jar, large, Tuzigoot red, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Jar, Tuzigoot plain, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Jar, Tuzigoot red, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Seed jar, Flagstaff black on white, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Seed jar, Tuzigoot plain, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Painting T&E, Indian
Paint Dish, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Paint Pigment, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Woodworking T&E
Shaft polisher from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
Stone chopper from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
VIII. Communication Artifacts
Art, Indian
Fetish, animal, from Fitzmaurice Ruin, Cottonwood Campus Library
