Blinn was founded in 1884 as Mission Institute by local minister Carl Urbantke with an original class of 3 ministerial students.[3] It was affiliated with the Southern German Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and became coeducational in 1888.[4] In 1889, the institute's name was changed to Blinn Memorial College in 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 from Germany who funded several German Methodist efforts, including the building of the Blinn Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church in New York.[5]
In 1927, the Board of Trustees, under leadership of President Philip Deschner, organized a junior college. In 1930, Blinn merged with Southwestern University of Georgetown, 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 in Washington County levied a property tax for 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 public community college districts 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.
The Bryan campus was established in 1970, and by the early 1980s, a third campus opened in College 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 third Brazos County site, 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]
Of those areas, the only portion within the college's taxation area, which means the only portion eligible for in-district tuition, is Washington County.[12]
Blinn has 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, the University of Texas and the University of Houston. Its transfer rate to four-year universities is 49% compared to the state average of 27%.[15] 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.[16][17]
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.[18] In 2013, the program was awarded the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Recognition of Excellence,[19] and in 2014 it received the THECB Star Award.[20]
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.[21] The largest program was Liberal Arts, followed by Agriculture then Nursing, all associates degrees.[22]
Community impact
Blinn College Bryan campus bookstore.
Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) conducted a 2014 study which concluded 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.[23]
Blinn has also been recognized for its community service. In 2011, Blinn received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification,[24] 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.[25] Each year, Blinn devotes a day to community service, called the Blinn Blitz, and hundreds of students participate in local community service projects.[26]
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 most NJCAA national championships, with wins in 1995, 1996, 2006, and 2009.[27] The last of which was won with Cam 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.[28]
Notable alumni
Cornerstone plaques to commemorate people from Blinn's history.
