Ranger College
The William and Sharon Campion Welcome Center
TypePublic community college
Established1926
PresidentMr. Derrick Worrels
Undergraduates2499 (as of Fall 2023)
Location
Ranger
,
Texas
,
United States

32°27′32″N 98°40′57″W / 32.458814°N 98.682502°W / 32.458814; -98.682502
CampusRural, 50 acres (20 ha)
ColorsPurple and white    
NicknameRangers
Websiterangercollege.edu

Ranger College is a public community college in Ranger, Texas. The college's website asserts that it "is one of the oldest public two-year colleges in continuous operation in the state of Texas."[1] In conjunction with its main campus in Ranger, the college maintains several satellite campuses across Erath County and Brown County, Texas. Ranger College provides dual-credit courses to over 40 area school districts.

As defined by the Texas State Legislature, the official service area of Ranger College is the part of the Ranger Independent School District located in Eastland County, excluding the area known as the "old Bullock School Land", and all of Brown, Comanche, Erath, and Young counties, excluding the portion of the Graham Independent School District located in Young County.[2] Ranger College is a Hispanic Serving Institution.[3]

History

The combined cafeteria and auditorium at Ranger College.

The college opened as an extension of the local public school on September 13, 1926, with thirty students. The State Department of Education recognized the college on March 23, 1927. Ranger College was a governed by the public school system until August 18, 1950, when the Board of Education separated junior colleges. The college thereafter has been governed independently by a Board of Regents and its own presidents, of which Dr. G. C. Boswell was the first.

College PresidentService Years
R.F. Holloway1926–1936
W.T. Walton1936–1941
Grover C. Boswell1941–1952
FW.W. Smith (acting)Jan. 1953 – Mar. 1953
R.N. Cluck (Interim)Mar. 1953 – Aug. 1953
Dr. Price R. Ashton1953–1959
Dr. Theodore Nicksick Jr.1959–1966
Dr. E.W. Mince1966–1971
Dr. Jack Elsom1971–1990
Dr. Joe Mills1990–2005
James McDonald (interim)May 2005 – 2006
Dr. Ken Tunstall2006–2008
James McDonald (interim)May 2008 – 2009
Dr. William J. Campion2009–2021
Mr. Derrick Worrels2021 -

In 2010, Ranger College opened campuses in Early and Stephenville, Texas.

A 2011 proposal to close several rural Texas colleges[4] was not adopted, and Ranger College continued to receive state funding. Since then, student enrollment at Ranger College has increased by 43%:

TermTotal Enrollment
Fall 20111736
Fall 20232499

In November 2016, the city of Ranger voted to approve a $10 million bond to provide new buildings and renovations across campus.[5] Construction began in the winter of 2017 and was completed in 2020.

Ranger College is accredited as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Athletics

Ron Butler Gymnasium

National Championships

  • Women's Cross Country, 2020
  • Rodeo, 2007
  • Football, 1979
  • Baseball, 1978 and 1973

Ranger College's athletic teams are nicknamed the Rangers. The Rangers compete in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, cross country running, golf, rodeo, soccer, and volleyball.[6] The basketball teams play at Ron Butler Gymnasium. The baseball team plays at Ellis Burks Field, named after Ranger College alumnus and retired Major League Baseball player Ellis Burks.

In 1978 the Ranger College football team won the NJCAA national championship.

In June 2007, Ranger College won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association men's team title in the College National Finals Rodeo held in Casper, Wyoming.[7] Ranger had only been competing again since 2005, after a 25-year hiatus.[8]

In August 2007, Ranger replaced its football program with men's and women's soccer and men's golf programs. The football team finished the year with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses; the team was unable to compete its schedule due to ineligibility issues.[9]

In 2013 the Ranger College men's soccer team won the NJCAA Region V Championship and participated in the NJCAA Division I national tournament.

In 2015–16 the men's basketball team was found to have committed two eligibility violations. The first instance caused them to forfeit four games.[10] The second and more serious violation required them to forfeit all games from the 2015–2016 season [11] and to be placed on probation by the NJCAA for the 2016–17 season, meaning they were barred from any post-season play in 2016–17.[12]

In June 2016, Ranger earned a College National Finals Rodeo championship when sophomore heeler Wesley Thorp won the team roping event, with partner Cole Weeler of Weatherford College.

In 2020, the Ranger College women's cross-country team won the NJCAA national title,[13] and head cross-country coach Kathy Graham was named NJCAA National Coach of the Year.[14]

Notable Alumni

References

  1. ↑ ", Ranger College official website". rangercollege.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  2. ↑ "Education Code Chapter 130. Junior College Districts". Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  3. ↑ "Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) 2020-21" (PDF). HACU. 2022.
  4. ↑ "Letter to the Honorable Joe Straus" (PDF). tacc.org. January 24, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Area voters decide a variety of issues".
  6. ↑ "Ranger College Rangers Athletics Home". rangersports.net. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  7. ↑ "Young Texas team takes CNFR titles". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. 2007-06-17. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  8. ↑ Kanode, Susan (2007-06-17). "Ranger reigns after restarting program". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  9. ↑ Stowers, Carlton (August 14, 2007). "Ranger rids itself of football". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  10. ↑ "Billy Gillispie's previously unbeaten Ranger College team forfeits four games due to a transfer player's incomplete paperwork". 3 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Billy Gillispie's Ranger College team must forfeit all 31 wins after NJCAA's ineligible-player ruling upheld". 6 October 2016.
  12. ↑ "NJCAA Colleges on Probation".
  13. ↑ "Ranger women collect first title in program history". NJCAA. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  14. ↑ "RC's Kathy Graham awarded NJCAA's national Coach of the Year accolades". 14 December 2020.
  15. ↑ "Ranger College Alumni Page". Ballcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-01-21.

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