Florida Senate - 2012 (NP) SR 1736 By Senator Hays 20-01643-12 20121736__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing the students, alumni, 3 faculty, administration, and District Board of 4 Trustees of Lake-Sumter Community College as the 5 college celebrates its 50th Anniversary as an 6 institution of higher learning. 7 8 WHEREAS, in 1961, at a time when segregation was still 9 widely accepted in the South, the Legislature approved an act to 10 build two junior colleges in Lake County to serve the white and 11 black constituents of Lake and Sumter Counties, and 12 WHEREAS, in 1962, Lake-Sumter Junior College and Johnson 13 Junior College offered their first classes, housed in temporary 14 facilities on the campuses of Leesburg High School and Carver 15 Heights High School, respectively, and 16 WHEREAS, in 1964, with the generous support of the 17 community, Lake-Sumter Junior College opened its first permanent 18 campus on Highway 441 in Leesburg, and Johnson Junior College 19 opened its permanent facility on Beecher Street in Leesburg, and 20 WHEREAS, in compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 21 Lake-Sumter Junior College and Johnson Junior College were 22 merged in 1965, and, in 1970, Lake-Sumter Junior College was 23 officially renamed as “Lake-Sumter Community College,” and 24 WHEREAS, a joint-use facility with the Sumter County School 25 District was opened in Sumterville in the summer of 1995, and, 26 in Clermont at a joint-use facility with the University of 27 Central Florida, classes began in September of 1999, and 28 WHEREAS, Lake-Sumter Community College’s dedicated and 29 talented faculty and staff have continuously sought new ways to 30 increase opportunities for students and ensure their success, 31 have adapted to the needs of the students and employers in Lake 32 and Sumter Counties by staying at the forefront of innovative 33 education programming by offering certificates, associate 34 degrees, workforce training, and continuing education, and are 35 in the process of obtaining permission to offer a baccalaureate 36 degree in organizational management, and 37 WHEREAS, as a proud member of the “Great 28” in the Florida 38 College System, Lake-Sumter Community College will celebrate in 39 the 2012-2013 academic year 50 years of excellence as an 40 institution of higher learning, NOW, THEREFORE, 41 42 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 43 44 That the members of the Senate recognize the students, 45 alumni, faculty, administration, and District Board of Trustees 46 of Lake-Sumter Community College as the college celebrates its 47 50th Anniversary as an institution of higher learning in 48 Florida.