From humble beginnings in a repurposed army barracks building from Fort McQuade, MPC has grown to a thriving institution with multiple locations - including the Marina Education Center at Marina, the Public Safety Training Center in Seaside, and the main campus in Monterey - serving more than 11,000 students annually and conferring approximately 1,000 degrees and certificates each year. With more than 700 employees and a $68 million budget, MPC is also a major economic engine for our region.

Notable moments in the College’s impressive 75-year history include:

• September 5, 1947 — MPC’s first classes begin at Monterey High School
• September 10, 1948 — Classes begin at MPC’s Fremont Street campus
• June 9, 1949 — Thirty-four students receive their degrees at MPC’s first graduation ceremony
• May 23, 1959 — MPC track star Jackie Williams runs the 100-yard dash in 9.7 seconds, a school record that still stands today
• January 16, 1960 — Former First Lady and Civil Rights activist Eleanor Roosevelt speaks at MPC
• March 24, 1961 — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spends the day on the MPC campus and gives a speech in the armory that evening
• June 16 – 18, 1967 — Over 20,000 people camp on the football field at MPC during the Monterey Pop Festival
• March 24 – 28, 1970 — Ansel Adams gives a photography workshop at MPC
• August 30, 1982 — Classes begin at MPC’s Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing
• February 16, 1990 — Civil Rights pioneer Rosa Parks speaks at MPC
• September 4, 2003 — MPC’s Library and Technology Center opens

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JULY 2022

• Board Resolution commemorating 75th anniversary (Jul 2022)
  

AUGUST 2022

• Fall Flex Day celebrates 75th anniversary with commemorative calendars
• Timeline Exhibit opens in the library (runs through October)

SEPTEMBER 2022

• 75th Anniversary Community Festival held in the Caroline Page Garden and MPC Quad
  (Sep. 10)

OCTOBER 2022

• MPC Foundation "Diamond Jubilee" Gala
  (Oct. 22)

DECEMBER 2022

• Decade Day
(Dec. 6)

JANUARY 2023

• Alumni Photo/Memory Contest on social media

FEBRUARY 2023

• MPC Foundation Donor Appreciation Party
  (Date TBD)

MARCH 2023

• Lobo Hall of Fame Banquet
  (Mar 10)

APRIL 2023

• 75th Anniversary Art Show
  (Details TBD)

MAY 2023

• Commencement & other celebratory events with 75th Anniversary theme.

JUNE/JULY 2023

• Community Connections

*Please visit this page throughout the year for additional updates on our celebration plans and links to more information.