WCC Celebrates 60 years With New Exhibition

Washtenaw Community College’s ceremonial commencement mace is displayed at the “60 Years of Opening Doors” art gallery exhibition on campus. Photo: WCC

“60 Years of Opening Doors: Washtenaw Community College’s 60th Anniversary Exhibition” is now open in The Gallery, located in the Morris Lawrence Building on the WCC campus, 4800 E. Huron River Drive.

The exhibition will be on display through Jan. 9, 2026. Admission is free.

A giant timeline highlights key milestones from the first six decades, and a video featuring archival clips from the college’s inception to today plays continuously.

The ceremonial commencement mace, a shovel from a campus groundbreaking, college logos through the years and other items from WCC’s history, are displayed. The mace, a heavy wooden staff designed and built by former faculty member David Byrd in the early 1970s, is decorated with symbols representing college programs.

Additionally, the exhibition includes historical markers for each of WCC’s four presidents, along with photographs and names of elected Board of Trustees members who have governed the college through the years.

WCC’s story began with a bold vision and overwhelming community support. In January 1965, county voters approved the establishment of a new two-year college by a 2-to-1 margin and elected its first Trustees. Just over a year later in September 1966, WCC welcomed its first students into temporary classrooms near Willow Run. In the Summer of 1967, construction began on the current 285-acre site, formerly an apple orchard.

The WCC Foundation was founded 40 years ago to promote student success through scholarships and other philanthropic support.

Gallery hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon; Sunday, closed.