Central College (Texas)

The grounds of the Central College campus were originally built in 1914 to house the South End Junior High School. in 1926, the facility became a high school when the San Jacinto High School opened. Roy Hofheinz attended the high school.[2]

The first post-secondary education at the San Jacinto High School facilities began on March 7, 1927, when Houston Junior College (HJC) was formed and occupied the building. Initially, the campus offered only night courses.[3] Its first session began March 7, 1927, with an enrollment of 232 students and 12 faculty. The institution would later expend on September 19, 1927, to allow all persons having completed the necessary educational requirements to enroll.[4]

On April 30, 1934, Texas governor Miriam A. Ferguson signed House Bill 194 into law which allowed the Houston Junior College to become a four-year university. The junior college renamed itself to the University of Houston (UH) which it has remained since.[4] UH initially held classes at the high school building with an enrollment of 682 until they moved to the South Main Baptist church the following semester.[5] The San Jacinto High School building would continue to hold night classes for the University of Houston through 1939.

In 1970, the San Jacinto High School held its final year as a new institution, the Houston Technical Institute (HTI), would now occupy the building in 1971. The same year, the formation of the Houston Community College was approved by HISD which would share facilities with the district's schools. The first classes at the campus, now named HTI, were held in 1971.[6]