Welcome to 50 Years of EVC!

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

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50th logo in green with hills to the right
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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.

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campus from 1975

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)
     
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A scene from EVC's Production of Our Town
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woman in sharks jersey on grass with hockey stick about to shoot puck.

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.

See the 2025 Photo Gallery
 

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
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Support Programs

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.

Former EVC Students

Are you a former EVC student and want to tell your story? Tell us about it!

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EVC Pond
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EVC Pond

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.

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EVC Pond

Leaders

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 

 

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President Gerald Strelitz

Construction

See below for more information on the list of buildings, including their opening dates, dedications, and ribbon cuttings.

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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

Logos

Check our 50th Anniversary Logos (zip file)

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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.

Give Now

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Sponsorship Opportunities

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.

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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
     

Contact

Niall T. Adler

Marketing Director / PIO

Student Services Complex - A - 2003