Overview
As the Mercury News wrote in 1975, a "rural" college opened in East San Jose on September 3, 1975. Route 71 took students to the new campus for $10 for a monthly pass.
The average cost to attend community college was $263, compared to $2,781 for a private university.
On the first day of class, San Felipe Road was a two-lane country road featuring cars backed up to Aborn Road as students waited to enter the 101st California Community College.
The original College, at an initial cost of $50 million, to be built over a decade, was situated in five clusters, taking UC Santa Cruz as its example. The clusters were a combination of classrooms, labs and vocational shops.
In 1967, the District paid $1.35M for 155 acres to build the future college. The campus was officially named in 1970. In the late 1950s, the site was one of many recommendations for a new UC San Jose campus (which ultimately went to UCSC and was built in 1965).
Initial Offerings: 87 instructors at SJCC were named as EVC faculty and made up the following departments: Administration of Justice, Art, Biological Sciences, Black Studies, Business, Speech, Home Economics, Engineering, Foreign Languages, Music, Mexican-American Studies, Nursing, PE, Physical Science, Psychology, Social Sciences, Math
50th Kickoff Birthday
Join us at the EVC Theatre on Wednesday, September 3, starting at 5 p.m. as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Start with a cocktail hour with light Hors d'oevres and a look at our 50th Anniversary Art Gallery display. Follow that up in the theatre at 6 p.m. with musical acts and VIPs talking about our college. Limited seating is available in our theatre.
RSVP below (and join our mailing list)
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Historical Timeline
Take a look at the history of EVC from its founding in 1975 to today. We'll provide a historical timeline from the Disco-laden 1970s to today's Artificial Intelligence.
- Full Timeline
- List of Presidents
- Aerial Shots & Maps Over Time
- Construction Over the Years
- Major Events Over the Years
50th Events
On September 3, 2025 we will celebrate Evergreen Valley College's birthday. The event will take place in our EVC Theatre from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. followed by an event at the EVC Observatory. The event will combine speeches from local elected officials and musical performances.
RSVP below (and join our mailing list)
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50th Events Planned:
- Birthday / Kickoff (September 3, 2025)
- EVC Art Gallery (September 2025)
- Fall Theatre Show (Evergreen Stories: 50 Years of Life, Laughter & Learning, directed by John Kaufmann. November 19-22, 2025)
- Alumni Gatherings (Fall, Spring)
- Art Alumni Show (Spring)
- Speaker Series
- EVC Community Day (April, 2026)
EVC Community Day
In April 2025, EVC hosted 50 community booths and EVC departments as part of our CAPS registration event. It included pop-a-shots by the Quakes and Earthquakes, food trucks, classic cars, many of our elected officials, and about a dozen EVC departments. It also included a kids' soccer game, an art booth, and the Girl Scouts.
We expect to have another community day in April 2026.
Library Events
Each month the Library will look back at the last 50 years.
| September | Latinos in the Making of EVC |
| October/November | Dia de los Muertos - Staff who have passed away |
| November/December | Native American Heritage Month - Tamien Nation |
| February | Black History Month - Staff, students and Umoja |
| March | Women’s History Month - Notable women at EVC |
| April | Poetry Month - Leaf by Leaf Magazine / Poetry |
| May | AANHPI Month - Notable Asian contributors to EVC |
Other Events
Through 2025-26, we will celebrate the history of EVC with events around our programs. Many of the events will align with monthly cultural celebrations and Latino Heritage, Black History, and Women's History. We will also celebrate our long-time programs such as Enlace, Aspire and Umoja.
Stories
Are you a former EVC student and want to tell your story? Tell us about it!
Current Employees (and EVC alums)
Are you a former EVC AND a current employee? We want you to tell us about what makes EVC so special.
What makes Evergreen Valley College so special
Watch videos from our students and staff on what makes Evergreen Valley College in San Jose so special to them.
Leadership
Here is a list of our presidents at EVC:
Gerald Strelitz, 1974 to June 30, 1990 (pictured)
Richard Carpenter, July 1990 to July 1992
Kenneth Fawson (acting), June 1991 to January 1992
Ernest Berg (interim), July 1992 to July 1993
Ron Kong (acting), July 1993 to August 1993
Noelia Vela, September 1993 to June 1997
Sylvia Rodriguez-Andrews (interim), July 1997 to June 1998
H. Clay Whitlow, July 1998 to August 2004
Jon Kangas (interim), October 2004 to July 2005
David Wain Coon, July 2005 to November 2010
Marilyn Brock (interim), January 2011 to June 2011
Henry Yong, July 2011 to June 2017
Keith Aytch, July 2017 to November 2019 (Atych was acting & interim from July 2017 to April 2018)
Byron Breland (acting), August 2019 to November 2019
Denise Noldon (interim), November 2019 to July 2020
Tammeil Gilkerson, July 2020 to December 2024
Denise Noldon (interim), January 2024 to September 2024
Vinicio Lopez, September 2024 to present
Construction
See below for more information on the list of buildings, including their opening dates, dedications, and ribbon cuttings.
Building Openings
| September 3, 1975 | EVC opened as a college |
| 1975 | Acacia Building opened |
| 1975 | Admissions & Records building opened |
| 1975 | Central utilities building opened |
| 1975 | PE Building opened |
| 1976 | Grounds shop opened |
| 1977 | Field House opened |
| 1979 | Library remodeled in Student Services Center |
| 1979 | Student Services Center opened |
| 1982 | Child Development Center opened |
| 1984 | Cedro Building opened |
| 1988 | Criminal Justice Training Center opens at EVC |
| 2000 | Old Bookstore converted in Admissions & Record Building. Sequoia Building Opens |
| 2001 | Gullo I Student Center opened |
| April 2002 | Admissions moves to building adjacent to Sequoia |
| Sept. 2003 | Observatory opened |
| 2004 | Library Technology Building opened |
| 2005 | Gullo II opened |
| 2005 | Student Services Center remodeled |
| 2007 | Central Utilities security office expanded |
| 2008 | Acacia Building modernized |
| 2008-09 | Cedro Building modernized |
| 2009 | Visual Performing Arts Center opened |
| 2013 | Central Plant and Police Center renovated |
| 2015 | District offices move to downtown San Jose |
| 2016 | Automotive Technology opened |
| 2016 | MS3 Building opened |
| 2016 | Fitness Center opened |
| 2016 | Central Green Arts Plaza added |
| 2018 | Central Utilities renovated |
| 2023 | Language Arts Building opened |
| 2024 | Student Services Complex opened |
| 2024 | General Education & Engineering opened |
| 2025 | Nursing wing expanded, connecting to Sequoia |
| 2025 | Tamien Way dedicated for roadway to campus |
Dedications and Ribbon Cuttings
| December 1967 | Campus site purchased |
| July 18, 1973 | College Groundbreaking |
| September 3, 1975 | First day of classes |
| March 25-27, 1976 | Official college dedication and bicentennial |
| August 26, 1977 | Learning Resource Center Groundbreaking |
| April 18, 1993 | Angelina Gullo donates over $2M for future building |
| May 16, 1996 | Dedication ceremony for Mauro Chavez plaque in Library |
| October 10, 1997 | Gullo Student Center Groundbreaking |
| March 24, 1999 | The Cesar Chavez Memorial Grove is dedicated |
| July 11, 2000 | Sequoia Groundbreaking |
| May 8, 2002 | Dedication ceremony for Sequoia Building |
| July 9, 2002 | Library and Educational Technology Center Groundbreaking |
| Summer 2003 | Phase II of Gullo Center Groundbreaking takes place |
| Sept. 4, 2003 | Observatory Ribbon Cutting and opening |
| Spring 2004 | Tony Bettencourt Stadium named. |
| October 2004 | Construction begins on Visual & Performing Arts Center |
| October 9, 2007 | Visual and Performing Arts Groundbreaking |
| September 26, 2016 | Auto Tech debuts $13M Automotive Technology Center |
| October 19, 2016 | MS3 Building and Fitness Center ribbon cutting |
| November 2, 2021 | Dedication of outdoor sports complex with basketball courts and a pickleball court |
| November 21, 2023 | Dedication to Language Arts |
| April 9, 2025 | SSC, General Education, Nursing Expansion, Tamien Way Dedication |
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Give Now
Support the next 50 years of student success at Evergreen Valley College. Your generous donation empowers students, enhances programs, and sustains our mission to provide accessible, high-quality education. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a lasting impact on our diverse student community.
Sponsor
Partner with Evergreen Valley College as we celebrate 50 years of educational excellence and community impact. Sponsorship opportunities offer a unique chance to showcase your commitment to education, connect with a diverse audience, and support future generations of leaders.
Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
- Star One Credit Union
- Voler Strategic Advisors
Bronze Sponsors
- Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
- Josh & Philippe Selo
- Kaiser Permanente
- Piper Sandler
- Plaza de Jennings and Chipman LLP
- Robert N. Chang Charitable Foundation
- ROI Insurance Solutions