A Celebrated History
Lawson State Community College is a public, historically black community college located in Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama. It is composed of two main divisions, academic and career technical.
Birmingham Campus History
The career technical division began as the Wenonah State Technical Institute on August
24, 1949, in Birmingham, Alabama. The school opened with eleven instructors, seventy-five
students enrolled in ten courses, and one related subject. The first president of
the school was Dr. Theodore Alfred Lawson. The initial funding received by the career
technical division was $75,000.
The academic division, originally named Wenonah State Junior College, opened in 1965.
In 1967, the junior college held its first commencement exercise with thirty-three
graduates. In 1968, the junior college received its accreditation by the Commission
on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1969, the junior
college's name was changed to Lawson State Junior College and had an enrollment of
three hundred students.
On October 1, 1973, Wenonah State Technical Institute and Lawson State Junior College
merged into one institution and became known as T.A. Lawson State Community College,
which is the current location of the college's Birmingham Campus.
Presidents
Despite its long-standing, and at first separate, history, there have been a short
list of presidents for T.A. Lawson State Community College.
Bessemer Campus History
In 1963, the City of Bessemer purchased thirty-four acres for the new State Vocational-Technical
School (later changed to John R. Pelham Technical Trade School and then Bessemer State
Trade School.) The school accepted its first students on April 4, 1966, with six programs
of study, forty-seven daytime students, and thirty nighttime students. On August 16,
1966, by legislative act, the school's name was changed to Bessemer State Technical
Institute. When the institute achieved college status in 1973, it became known as
Bessemer State Technical College. Five presidents served this institution.
Presidents
On July 1, 2005, Bessemer State Technical College merged with T.A. Lawson State Community College.
Two Campuses, One College
Since its merger, Lawson State has seen its most celebrated years.
