YFU Handbooks | Page 31

••Teaching and Learning – They pride themselves on emphasizing the importance of teaching and learning. Brief History of the Community College The first public two-year institution was founded in 1901 at Joliet Junior College in Illinois. Community colleges, as we know them today, grew in large numbers after World War II. Early in 1947, President Harry S. Truman wanted to ensure that the democratic ideals the U.S. fought for during the war were ensured for future generations. With a committee of community leaders and national specialists, it was decided that a new type of institution would be established and that it would be accessible to all people and would emphasize civic responsibility. It was in the Truman Commission Report where the term “community college” was fi