Deep Roots, Strong Branches:
The Establishment of a Campus for Monroe Community College (November 1998 to February 26, 1999)
Not many students now attending Monroe Community College
realize that the Brighton Campus was not the original MCC campus. For
about six years, until 1968, all MCC classes were held in the former Rochester
East High School building on Alexander Street. Though cramped and antiquated,
the location provided MCC with a solid start as one of the community's
most innovative institutions.
Founding president, LeRoy V. Good, saw the promise in
the then-new community college movement, and was a clear-voiced proponent
in the community. Right from the start he proposed a proper campus for
Monroe Community College.
The original land deed, dated 1831.
An architect's drawing of the campus depicts a modern, attractive facility.
It wasn't
until the mid-sixties that serious plans were made to build a new campus
for MCC. With enrollment steadily increasing, and with plans to develop
new and expanded program offerings, it was known that the new campus would
need to be located on enough land to ensure continued growth possibilities
over the coming years. The land chosen was a rural tract in the Town of
Brighton, site of a bustling pig farm!
A panoramic picture of the construction site, with some landmarks labeled. This
remarkable photo was taken by MCC student Bill Sauers, now President of
the Board of Trustees of the
Town
of Greece Historical Society.
Other
items in the display include photographs of the farm formerly occupying
the MCC Brighton site, copies of early Monroe Doctrine newspapers,
pictures from the official open house and first graduation ceremony, as
well as various college publications and activities advertisements.
Over the years, as the student population grew, various plans were made to expand the Brighton Campus. Here is one
proposal, not used, which would have added a pond-front amphitheater, a conference center, a library located at the main
entrance, and additional classrooms in various buildings.
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