MALTA — Kishwaukee College is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2018 and will hold a special 50th Anniversary Kick-Off event on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Student Center on campus.
The 50th Anniversary Kick-Off will include remarks by local dignitaries and honored guests, the unveiling of 50th Anniversary commemorative video, and light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.
Located in the center of Illinois Community College District #523 on the farmland purchased from Ralph and Bertha Byro, Kishwaukee College began through a grassroots movement among local community members, with a strong backing from the area’s agriculture community.

The original Board of Trustees was elected in spring 1967 and in the summer of 1967, the College’s first president was selected, Dr. W. Lamar Fly from Hillsboro, Texas.
Kishwaukee College opened its doors in September 1968 with an enrollment of 608 students. The students had a selection of 62 courses from which to choose during that first semester, all of which were held in five temporary buildings with the Byro’s farmhouse used as administrative offices.
Today, the college has gone through six construction phases, operates nearly a half million square feet of facilities, and annually enrolls nearly 5,000 students.
For more information on the history of the college and celebration events scheduled throughout 2018, visit www.kish.edu/50th.