Blogos

The Archives & Special Collections Librarian is creating a new addition to the library’s blog. These posts will highlight the College’s history from its founding in 1964 until the present. The college’s past is rich, not just educational success, but in the role it has played in the County. There have been many highlights and even some controversies. The College has been a beacon for the citizens of Montgomery County seeking education, job training, and cultural enrichment for over forty years and it is hoped that these posts will show that. We hope you enjoy reading about some of these histories.

This post will center on one of the College’s first obstacles to its founding, an injunction brought by a very prominent county resident. According to the Community College Act of 1964, or ACT 484, Pennsylvania counties needed a local sponsor to form a community college, be that the school district or in MONTCO’s case the County Commissioners.

Now herein lies the problem that this county resident had with Act 484. After the County Commissioners agreed to sponsor the college and appointed a Board of Trustees to run it the Chairman of the Board, Dr. Joseph R. Feldmeier was handed an injunction that enjoined the Board from creating or promoting a community college in any way. The citizen asked the State Superior Court for an injunction against the Board of Trustees stating that the Community College Act was unconstitutional. He argued that it was illegal for a non-elected organization, such as the community college Board of Trustees, to request and spend money for which the county taxpayers would be responsible. The Superior Court agreed and granted the requested injunction and the Board was prevented from meeting or in any way establishing a county college.

With the assistance of some of the Trustees, the College’s first president Dr. Leroy Brendlinger, and the County Commissioners, the State Legislature soon rewrote those passages of the Community College Act deemed unconstitutional.

After the rewritten legislation had been passed by the State Legislature, Montgomery County Community College successfully argued that since the conditions that permitted the injunction were no longer valid the injunction should be lifted. The Superior Court agreed and the injunction was lifted. The county and its residents are ever richer for that.

Since Montgomery County was at the forefront of the Community College movement it was only fitting that it serve as precedence for others. MONTCO continues to be in the vanguard of Community Colleges.