Blinn College

Blinn College

Type	PublicJunior college
Established	1884
Accreditation	SACS
Chancellor	Mary Hensley
Students	18,301 (Fall 2023)[1]
Location	Brenham , Texas , United States 30°9′35″N96°24′26″W / 30.15972°N 96.40722°W /30.15972; -96.40722
Colors	Blue and white
Nickname	Buccaneers
Website	www.blinn.edu
Blinn College
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Blinn College Show map of Texas Blinn College Show map of the United States
Location	Roughly bounded by Third, Jackson, Fifth, Green, College, and High,Brenham, Texas
Area	16 acres (6.5 ha)
Built	c. 1840(1840)
Architect	Multiple
Architectural style	Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals,Early 20th Century Movements
MPS	Brenham MPS
NRHP referenceNo.	90000446[2]
Added to NRHP	March 29, 1990

Blinn Collegeis apublicjunior collegeinBrenham, Texas, with additional campuses inBryan,Schulenburg,SealyandWaller. Brenham is Blinn's original and main campus, with housing and athletics.

Main Building, Blinn College
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Main Building in 2016
Location	804 College Ave., Brenham, Texas
Coordinates	30°09′35″N96°24′19″W / 30.15968°N 96.40538°W /30.15968; -96.40538
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1906(1906)
Built by	C.W. Raper
Architect	Charles H. Page
Architectural style	Spanish Revival, TexasCommercial
Part of	Blinn College(ID90000446[2])
NRHP referenceNo.	78002998[2]
RTHLNo.	8303
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 6, 1978
Designated CP	March 29, 1990
Designated RTHL	1962

Blinn was founded in 1884 asMission Instituteby local minister Carl Urbantke with an original class of 3ministerialstudents.^[3]It was affiliated with the Southern German Conference of theMethodist Episcopal Church, and becamecoeducationalin 1888.^[4]In 1889, the institute's name was changed toBlinn Memorial Collegein honor of the Reverend Christian Blinn, who had donated a considerable sum of money to make the school possible. Blinn was a wealthy minister and immigrant fromGermanywho funded several German Methodist efforts, including the building of theBlinn Memorial Methodist Episcopal ChurchinNew York.^[5]

In 1927, the Board of Trustees, under leadership of President Philip Deschner, organized ajunior college. In 1930, Blinn merged withSouthwestern UniversityofGeorgetown,Texas. In 1934, a new charter was procured by the citizens of Brenham, and a private nonsectarian junior college was organized as Blinn College with nine regents as the board of control. In February 1937, all connections with Southwestern University and the Methodist denominations were severed.

On June 8, 1937, voters inWashington Countylevied aproperty taxfor the creation of a public junior college district. Blinn thus became the first county-owned junior college district in Texas.^[4]The college continues to operate as one of the largest of some fifty publiccommunity collegedistricts in Texas. After some early struggles (including the campus nearly closing in 1946 due to fiscal issues), the college began to grow and do well under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Morris Spencer, one of the early public junior college pioneers in Texas. When he left the college in 1957, it was on a firm fiscal footing.

Blinn has six campuses in the following locations: Brenham,Bryan(Villa Maria Road),RELLIS(SH 47in Bryan, shared withTexas A&M University),Schulenberg,SealyandWaller.^[6]

The Bryan campus was established in 1970, and by the early 1980s, a third campus opened inCollege Station. In 1997, the Villa Maria Road campus opened in Bryan, consolidating the programs that were located in the Townshire Shopping Center in Bryan and the Woodstone Center in College Station. The thirdBrazos Countysite, located in the former Bryan post office, continues to house the dental hygiene, radiologic technology, and workforce education programs. The original three buildings on the Bryan campuses were expanded to six, and in 2002, the former Schulman Theater was purchased and converted to classroom space, known as the College Park Campus (CPC). The Schulenburg campus opened in 1997 and the Sealy campus opened in 2005.

In 2015, Blinn announced that it would cancel expansion plans at the Villa Maria campus and open new facilities at the Texas A&M RELLIS Campus instead.^[7]The groundbreaking ceremony for the Blinn College educational building took place on March 31, 2017.^[8]In 2022, Blinn opened a new $32 million administration building at RELLIS, incorporating 19 new classrooms in addition to offices for student enrollment.^[9]

In 2023, Blinn opened the Waller campus in the former Waller High School.^[10]

Blinn offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs.^[11]The college is accredited by theSouthern Association of Colleges and Schoolsto awardassociate's degrees.^[12]

Blinn boasts the highest transfer rate in the state of Texas, sending students to institutions such as Texas A&M University,Sam Houston State University,Texas State University, theUniversity of Texasand theUniversity of Houston. Its transfer rate to four-year universities is 49% compared to the state average of 27%.^[13]Blinn transfers more students to Texas A&M University than any other two-year college. Blinn technical students score among the best in the state on board and licensure exams.^[14][15]

In 2001, Blinn and Texas A&M University established the first co-enrollment program of its kind with the TEAM (Transfer Enrollment at Texas A&M) Program. TEAM students enroll in one or two A&M courses at a time while taking the rest of their courses at Blinn. After 60 credit hours and meeting academic standards, students are guaranteed transfer to A&M, with opportunity to transfer before 60 credits/2 years.^[16]In 2013, the program was awarded the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Recognition of Excellence,^[17]and in 2014 it received the THECB Star Award.^[18]

Student body composition as of Fall 2021

Race and ethnicity[19]	Total
White	58%	58
Hispanic	25%	25
Black	7%	7
Other[a]	6%	6
Asian	3%	3
Nonresident Alien	1%	1
Economic diversity
Low-income[b]	79%	79
Affluent[c]	21%	21

For Fall 2021, the college district enrolled 8,779 full-time and 17,909 total students. The student body was 49% male and 51% female.^[19]The largest program wasLiberal Arts, followed byAgriculturethenNursing, allassociates degrees.^[20]

A 2014 study found that Blinn made a $345.3 million impact in its service area, including $239.5 million in added income by former students employed in the regional workforce, $61.3 million in College operations spending and $44.5 million in student spending. The report found that Blinn has made an impact of $247.4 million in Bryan-College Station, $83 million in Brenham, $11.1 million in Schulenburg and $3.9 million in Sealy.^[21]

Blinn has also been recognized for its community service. In 2011, Blinn received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification,^[22]and in 2012 it was the only community college in the state of Texas to be named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.^[23]Each year, Blinn devotes a day to community service, called the Blinn Blitz, and hundreds of students participate in local community service projects.^[24]

The home campus in Brenham has offered intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and has won 30 national championships since 1987. The Blinn Buccaneers play football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball. The Division I football program is tied for the fourth mostNJCAA national championships, with wins in 1995, 1996, 2006, and 2009.^[25]The last of which was won withCam Newton. The volleyball team won the NJCAA championship in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2014. The softball team consistently makes the national tournament. Blinn's award-winning cheer and dance teams won the UCA and UDA National Championships in 2014 and 2015.^[26]

This section does notciteanysources. Please helpimprove this sectionbyadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved. (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Abraham Louis Levin(Class of 1903), physician and inventor of theLevin Tube

• Dan Kubiak(Class of 1959),State representativefromRockdale, 1969-1983 and 1991-1998
• Leon Toubin, member of Blinn College's board of trustees

• Big Pokey, rapper
• Ty Hardin, actor
• Henry Thomas, actor

• Don Baylor
• Josh Beckett
• Bryce Miller (baseball)

• Chris "Birdman" Andersen
• Oliver Lafayette
• Tony Skinn

• James Beckford, winner of thesilver medalinlong jumpat the2004 Olympics
• Tim Montgomery, Olympic sprinter
• Godfrey Siamusiye, distance runner

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Washington County

• Blinn College