In less than a month, Cochise College will be honoring 50 years of serving Cochise County with a celebration that invites the community to reminisce with founders, meet several authors and enjoy the nostalgic sounds of the Fab Four.
The college’s Golden Opportunity Celebration kicks off in late September, beginning with a Founder’s Dinner on the afternoon of Sept. 21 welcoming back a number of individuals who were affiliated with the college when it opened in the 1960s.
Howard A. DeWitt pictured in the 1966 Cochise College yearbook.
The party continues with matching festivities at each of the college’s main campuses — Sept. 22 in Sierra Vista and Sept. 23 in Douglas — that include a ceremony at 6 p.m. followed by performances by “Twist & Shout: The Definitive Beatles Experience.”
Starting 4 p.m. on each of those nights, the college will recognize the published authors who are former or current faculty members and alumni. One in particular has a rather close connection to the night’s performing artists as the author of three books about The Beatles.
Howard A. DeWitt, who has written 23 books about a wide array of subjects in popular culture, is Professor Emeritus of History at Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif., and former instructor at the University of California, Davis and the University of Arizona. He was one of Cochise College’s earliest history and government instructors, and he founded the Cochise County Historical Society in 1965.
“Cochise College made my career a great one,” DeWitt said. “I have some great stories and warm feelings about my time there.”
DeWitt traveled the United States with Chuck Berry as the rock and roll legend’s first biographer and spent time in Liverpool while writing “The Beatles: Untold Tales.” His book subjects have included everything from musicians and artists to politicians and athletes.
“It will be good to see friends, colleagues and former students,” DeWitt said. “Cochise College provided me with a foundation for the rest of my career and I will be forever grateful.”
The full schedule of events for this year’s 50th anniversary celebration is available at www.cochise.edu/50. New activities are continually added as details are finalized. One recently added is the Time Capsule Project, which invites students, employees and community members to commemorate this year in the college’s history by donating items to be used in a time capsule put together by the college’s Student Government Associations.
The college is also working to establish a Hall of Fame to honor former students, faculty, staff and community leaders. For the inaugural class, nominations will be accepted through December 2014, and the induction ceremony is slated for April 2015. For more information or to make a nomination, visit www.cochise.edu/alumni/hall-of-fame.
Information about 50th anniversary events, activities, hotel accommodations, memorabilia, the hall of fame, and more is available at www.cochise.edu/50 or by calling (520) 417-4735.