| St. Johns River State College | |
| Chairman: | Diane P. Leone |
| Faculty: | 109[1] |
| Students: | 10,514 (2017)[2] |
| Country: | U.S. |
| Campus: | Palatka campus St. Augustine campus Orange Park campus Total: 353.88acres |
| Former Names: | St. Johns River Community College |
| Mascot: | Vikings |
St. Johns River State College is a public college in Northeast Florida with campuses in Palatka, St. Augustine, and Orange Park. Founded in 1958 (for organizational purposes) as St. Johns River Junior College, a historically black college, it is part of the Florida College System. It is one of several colleges in the system designated in 2001 as a "state college", meaning they can offer more bachelor degrees and academic programs than traditional community colleges can.
It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Florida School of the Arts, Florida's first state-sponsored arts school, is housed within the Palatka Campus.
The first president of the college, Dr. B. R. Tilley, was appointed in 1958 and the college opened its doors that year.[3] Walter Smith states that Tilley was appointed in 1959 "to plan for the opening".[4] In the fall of 1958, classes were held in the study area of a Baptist church, until it could build its Palatka facility.
St. Johns River Junior College, restricted to white students in the racially segregated state, was founded at the same time as Collier-Blocker Junior College, a historically black college, also based in Palatka. In 1964 the two educational institutions merged under the name of St. Johns River. But none of the faculty and few of the Black students of Collier-Blocker found places at St. Johns River.[5]
Between 1966 and 2011, it changed its name to St. Johns River Community College. During this period, the college also expanded its programs, developing campuses in Orange Park and St. Augustine in 1977 and 1986, respectively, in order to better serve Putnam, St. Johns, and Clay counties.
In 2011 it was designated as a state college, which enabled it to offer more programs culminating in bachelor's degrees.[6]
Dr Robert L. McLendon Jr. served as president of the college from 1972 to 2008, and led much of its development. The Thrasher-Horne Center for Performing Arts opened on the Orange Park campus in 2004.[7]
He was succeeded by the current president of the college, Joe Pickens. In 2012, the college created a wall featuring portraits of students and faculty, and other mementos of Collier-Blocker. A state scholarship was also established in the name of the former Black college.[8]