By Dr. J.D. Rottweiler
It happened 50 years ago this week. On Sept. 21, following an energetic, sometimes stressful, and certainly exciting planning period, Cochise College welcomed its first 400 students.
Documents of the time reflect the seemingly endless decisions that were necessary in order to proceed with setting curriculum and printing a schedule, ensuring construction completion and that backup plans were in place, enrolling students, and providing the best educational experience possible. There were no footsteps to follow, so the new college and its new employees did the best they could.
Those new employees – the faculty in particular – had a fantastic reputation. Dr. John Doty, former English faculty, recalled the spirit of the place upon his arrival in 1966. “Douglas was the only campus in the early days and because it was young and innovative, there was a spirit of camaraderie, adventure and excitement where all were learning together, students, faculty and administrators.”
Needless to say, many recognized Cochise College as a golden opportunity for students and professional educators alike. This week, as we celebrate with a reunion of those founders and the students they served, we also bask in the foundation of quality established by those early leaders and sustained by their successors.
A headline in the Sept. 18, 1964, Bisbee Daily Review declared ‘The Backbone of Cochise College – The Faculty.’ This reputation is due in part to the vision of Dr. Bill Harwood, the second Cochise College president and the one who served when it opened. Harwood’s vision was for the institution to be good, rather than to be big; he scoured the country in search of special faculty and staff, go-getters like himself. On trips like these, he hired two individuals who are still with us. Dr. John Eaton (Michigan) served as director of community services and went on to become the founding president at another college in Michigan. Dr. Joe Gilliland (Texas) was one of the first English faculty, and he may be the one with the lengthiest tenure. Nearly everyone was new in town, according to Harwood’s widow Jerry, so getting all of those families acclimated to new homes, schools, doctors and dentists, presented a challenge in itself.
Douglas resident Mary (Godoy) Maza, a member of the first class who studied licensed practical nursing, recalls the high standards of the faculty. She donned a perfectly pressed pinstriped uniform and shoes that shone like mirrors to participate in clinicals, not only at Douglas’s two hospitals, but also in Bisbee and Fort Huachuca and for an entire summer of pediatrics and obstetrics at Tucson Medical Center. Anything less was not acceptable, and the “intense and wonderful” experience was an opportunity for students like her who couldn’t attend a four-year institution. A day after graduating, Maza began a 22-year stint in the office of a local doctor. “The professors were just outstanding,” she says. “I think they were trying to prove that it could be done.”
Originally from the Willcox area, Edmund Clark also was in the first class of one of Cochise College’s flagship programs. In 1968, he enrolled in the aviation maintenance technology program, graduating in 1970. He attended labs in metal military surplus huts and recalls that the hangar and classrooms were built while he attended. “Cochise College certainly provided the access and opportunities I was seeking. I am very appreciative of the opportunity to attend and benefit from my two years there.” Clark has spent 41 years working overseas, from the Middle East to Europe and Latin America. Today he’s near Guadalajara, Mexico, working as a senior customer service engineer for Bell Helicopter.
As demonstrated by the success and the testimonials of countless former students, Cochise College’s founders did an admirable job of establishing an institution of quality. The expectation that was set for future generations continues to serve the college and its graduates well.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.