Paris Junior College, or PJC, was founded in 1924 as a campus of Paris Independent School District in the U.S. state of Texas and currently counts three campuses: Paris, Greenville, and Sulphur Springs with a total nearing enrollment of 5,000 students. PJC offers a range of associates degrees and certificates.
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of PJC consists of the following:
- the Paris Independent School District,
- the part of the Prairiland Independent School District that was formerly the Cunningham School District,
- the municipality of Paris, Texas,
- all of Lamar and Delta counties,
- the Detroit Independent School District and Clarksville Independent School District and the Rivercrest Independent School District that is in Red River County (formerly known as the Talco-Bogata Consolidated Independent School District),
- the North Hopkins Independent School District, Sulphur Bluff Independent School District, Sulphur Springs Independent School District, Miller Grove Independent School District, and Cumby Independent School District, located in Hopkins County,
- the Honey Grove Independent School District located in Fannin County
- the Fannindel Independent School District located in Fannin and Delta counties,
- all of Hunt County, except the portion located in the Terrell Independent School District, and
- the portion of the Prairiland Independent School District located in Red River County.
Their school mascot is the Dragon, and their colors are green and gold. The men's teams go by "Dragons" while the women's teams are "Lady Dragons." The athletic teams compete in the Southwest Junior College Conference of the NJCAA. PJC offers athletic scholarships in baseball, softball, and men and women's basketball.
PJC Won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Division I basketball tournament in 2005 by defeating Moberly Area CC 70-61. Other athletic accomplishments:
- Thru the 1960s, 1970's and early 80's PJC boasted a nationally ranked Men's Tennis Team.
- 1959 baseball, won first National Junior College Tournament in Grand Junction, Colorado. Former Dragon Brian Wuest now plays for the University of Nebraska at Kearney Lopers.
Houses the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology which offers training in horology, including mechanical watchmaking, and gemology.
The Industrial Technology Division offers programs in Air Conditioning Technology, Refrigeration Technology, Agricultural Technology, Drafting and Computer-aided Design, Electronics, Electromechanical Technology, and Welding Technology.
Paris Junior College also offers a well rounded Fine Arts Program including Theatre Arts, Music, Vocal Studies/Chorale and Art. The PJC Theatre was renamed the Ray E. Karrer Theatre for the Performing Arts in 2004 after the retirement of its longtime Fine Arts Division Chairman, Mr. Ray E. Karrer. The college is also a participating member of the Phi Rho Pi organization, competing in intercollegiate forensics, drama and public speaking. Paris Junior College Theatre and Speech students have won multiple National Junior College Championships in Individual Events and Reader's Theatre since its inception. In 2010 Paris Junior College re-instated it's locale Chapter #55 of Delta Psi Omega, the national two-year college drama honor fraternity.
Current Theatre faculty include Alex Peevy, who oversees all technical aspects of the program including lights, sound, and set design and William Walker, who oversees costumes, acting, and theatre appreciation. Fall of 2011 marked the beginning of the new associate degree program in Musical Theatre, with the opening of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This marks the second two-year public college in the United States to have such a program.
Musical Theatre faculty include: Mr. Phil Briggs: Director of Choirs, Ms. Jennie Vaughan: Head of piano instruction and theory, Alex Peevy: Director of movement and stage combat and Technical Director for the Ray Karrer Theatre, and William Walker: Director of the History of Musical Theatre and director of the musicals.
Notable alumni
Campus Living At Paris Junior College - Our students talk about life on campus at Paris Junior College.
- A. M. Aikin Jr. Texas state legislator and lawyer
- James R. Biard (c. 1951), engineer and inventor
- Brenda Cherry, civil rights activist
- Marsha Farney (c. 1990), member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 20 in Williamson County
See also
- H. L. "Hub" Hollis Field
References
External links
- Paris Junior College
- Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology
- Phi Rho Pi Organization
