 
Assembly Resolution No. 526
 
BY: M. of A. Lupardo
 
        COMMEMORATING  the 75th Anniversary of SUNY Broome
        Community College
 
  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to  recognize  and
commend  those  institutions  of true purpose and high achievement whose
exemplary programs and accomplishments clearly demonstrate  an  enduring
pursuit  of  excellence  in higher education for the youth of this noble
Empire State; and
 
  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of SUNY Broome Community College; and
 
  WHEREAS, Upon the completion of World War II,  the  New  York  State
Legislature  agreed to establish five institutes of arts and sciences in
Binghamton,  Buffalo,  Utica,  White  Plains  and  New  York   City   to
accommodate  the  returning  veterans  who  sought  greater  educational
opportunities; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Under  the  able  leadership  of  Cecil  C.  Tyrrell,  the
Institute  of Applied Arts and Sciences opened a year later in the State
Armory downtown, with the first class graduating in 1949; of  the  first
215 students, 63 were World War II veterans; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In  1950,  former  Governor Thomas Dewey approved a master
plan to develop New  York  State's  education  facilities,  and  shortly
thereafter,  the Institute was turned into a two-year community college;
and
 
  WHEREAS, Unfortunately, the Armory was destroyed in a horrific  fire
on  Labor  Day 1951; despite the loss, college officials were determined
to rebuild, and in a show of support, other colleges sent trucks labeled
"Bundles for Binghamton," bearing books and other materials to help  the
college  do  just that; exactly one month later, the college reopened in
the Kalurah Temple next door and offered  classes  in  several  downtown
sites; and
 
  WHEREAS, Renamed the Broome County Technical Institute, it became an
official  community  college  in  1953,  when the Broome County Board of
Supervisors voted to accept the Community College  Plan;  the  following
year,  the Board chose the campus' future site at the former County Poor
Farm on Upper Front Street in Dickinson, New York, making it  the  first
in  the  SUNY  system  to undertake the construction of a completely new
campus; and
 
  WHEREAS, In 1956, the first building on campus,  now  known  as  the
Student  Services  Building, opened for electrical students, and in that
same year, the college was renamed Broome Technical  Community  College;
and
 
  WHEREAS, The campus' first five buildings were completed in March of
1957,  and the campus hosted its first on-site graduation the next year;
Paul F. Titchener Hall opened in 1961, and eventually became home to the
 
college's Liberal  Arts  program,  established  in  1962  to  award  the
Associate  in Arts Degree, and make it possible for students to complete
the first two years of their Bachelor's Degree which paved  the  way  in
1973  for a joint degree program between the college and SUNY Binghamton
and the nearly 30 articulation agreements  with  four-year  schools  the
college offers today; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Through  the  next  few  decades,  the campus continued to
expand: a new library, later named after  President  Cecil  C.  Tyrrell,
opened  in  1968,  followed  by construction of the Business Building in
1971, the same year the college's  name  changed  again,  this  time  to
Broome   Community   College;  the  Applied  Technology  Building  began
construction in 1984, followed by a  new  Campus  Services  Building  in
1992, and the Decker Health Science Center in 1998; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Throughout  the  years,  SUNY  Broome  also  developed its
athletic programs; in 1961, the Hornets'  basketball  game  against  New
York  City  Tech  became  the first junior college game televised in the
country, and in 1980, Coach Dick Baldwin broke the record for  the  most
career  victories  ever  by  a two-year basketball coach, and become the
"winningest" active college coach at either two-  or  four-year  schools
seven years later; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In 1982, Broome Community College opened its doors for the
first time to international students, and today, it hosts students  from
Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico as part of its Scholarship for
Education  and  Economic  Development  (SEED) Program, and offers online
courses for international students; and
 
  WHEREAS, To further expand  its  global  existence,  by  1991,  many
students  were  enrolled  in  courses  offered  in  the  Everglades, the
Caribbean, Africa, Australia and Europe, and currently; they  can  study
abroad  in  Italy, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Haiti and London or with
satellite classrooms in their own communities; and
 
  WHEREAS, The College continued to evolve, and in September of  2013,
it  underwent its final name change to SUNY Broome Community College; in
the next few years, extensive renovations modernized  the  rest  of  the
campus,  and  in  the  fall  of  2014,  the College became a residential
campus; and
 
  WHEREAS, In 2020, the SUNY Broome  Culinary  and  Event  Center  was
officially dedicated in downtown Binghamton; after extensive renovations
of the former Carnegie Library; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Throughout  its  history,  the  College  has  continuously
developed its academic programs which has greatly  benefitted  not  only
its  students,  but  local  students  of  all  ages; the College's proud
tradition of technical and trade education has positioned  it  perfectly
for  the  growth in demand for science, technology, engineering and math
degrees, and partnerships with other colleges in the state are  becoming
even  stronger,  allowing  students to more easily transfer to four-year
institutions; and
 
  WHEREAS, Today, SUNY Broome Community College remains  true  to  its
mission  of supporting all members of the learning community by creating
access to inclusive,  diverse  educational  experiences;  its  students'
success  is  achieved  through  the  provision  of innovative academics,
 
transformative support, and meaningful civic and  community  engagement;
and
 
  WHEREAS,  Steeped  in a proud and distinguished history, SUNY Broome
Community College may look back with pride upon its  humble  beginnings,
find just satisfaction in its purposeful growth and hold true of purpose
in its commitment to serving the educational needs of its students; now,
therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of SUNY Broome Community  College;  and
be it further
 
  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Dr. Kevin E.  Drumm,  President,  SUNY  Broome  Community
College.
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of SUNY Broome Community College

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