Del Mar College Background
In 1935, a junior college district was created within the Corpus Christi Independent School District. On September 11th, Corpus Christi Junior College opened its doors to 154 Depression-era students. By 1937, the College outgrew its location and moved to the Lou E. Jones Educational Building of the First Methodist Church. Corpus Christi Junior College’s curriculum expanded to train students for the “practical affairs of life and for more advanced studies in higher education.” The following year, the College purchased the Wynn Seale Junior High School Annex from the Corpus Christi Independent School District and moved into the stucco-frame building for day classes.
In 1940, Corpus Christi Junior College acquired its first permanent tract of land, a corner lot at Baldwin and Ayers Street. The College traded the $10,000 Annex back to CCISD for twelve acres, which became the cornerstone of what is now Del Mar College’s East Campus.
In 1942, the College built its first Administration Building, a two-story, 80-room building that housed every branch of the institution. Known today as the Memorial Classroom Building, it houses the dean of the Arts and Sciences Division, along with some of the division’s departments.
MEMORIAL CLASSROOM BUILDING, CIRCA 1942