Chipola College
30°47′15″N 85°13′58″W / 30.787468°N 85.232784°W
Former names | Chipola Junior College |
|---|---|
| Type | Public college |
| Established | 1947 |
| President | Dr. Sarah Clemmons |
| Students | 2,274 |
| Location | , , |
| Campus | Rural |
| Language | English |
| Colors | Blue and gold |
| Mascot | Indians |
| Website | http://www.chipola.edu/ |
Chipola College is a state college in Marianna, Florida. It is a member of the Florida College System.[1] In 2012 the school opened a $16 million 56,000 square foot center for the arts, including two theaters.[2]
History
Founded in 1947 as Chipola Junior College, the name was changed in 2003 with the inception of several bachelor's degree programs.[3]
Campus
The college was named for the Chipola River, which is located less than a mile from the campus.
Academics
The college offers BSc degree programs, A.A. degrees, A.S. degrees, College Credit Certificate programs, and Workforce Development Certificates.
Student life
The Brain Bowl team has won six state championships and three national championships under coach Stan Young and assistant coach Robert Dunkle.[4]
Sports
The school is noted for its athletic program, which competes in the Panhandle Conference of the Florida State College Activities Association, a body of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8. The baseball program counts among its alumni former Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter and World Baseball Classic standout Adam Loewen, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mat Gamel, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder José Bautista, and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin. The men's basketball program was once home to Auburn standout Chris Porter, Oklahoma State player Mario Boggan, Arkansas' Jesse Pate, Missouri's Stefhon Hannah, and Indiana's JaMarcus Ellis and DeAndre Thomas.
The men's basketball program has won more state basketball championships under one coach (seven for Milton H. Johnson) and in total (nine) than any other junior-college basketball program in Florida. In the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons it finished fifth and third in the nation, respectively, and in 2005 received its first-ever No. 1 national ranking. In 2004-05, the basketball program won state championships in both men's and women's basketball. The women's basketball team repeated its state championship in 2005-06, finishing fourth in the nation. In 2006-07, the men's and women's teams both won the state championship. To finish the 2007 season, the men's program finished 33-3 with a runner-up finish in the NJCAA National Championship game. During that season, the Indians were ranked #1 in the national poll for 10 straight weeks.
Notable alumni
Chipola College has produced thousands of alumni over the years. Among the more notable alumni of Chipola College are current Major League Baseball manager Buck Showalter, Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston, and Russell Martin, an all-star MLB catcher currently playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.
| Alumnus | Notability |
|---|---|
| José Bautista | Professional Major League Baseball player |
| Marti Coley | Current member of the Florida House of Representatives |
| Patrick Corbin | Professional Major League Baseball player |
| Adam Duvall | Professional Major League Baseball player |
| Mat Gamel | Former professional Major League Baseball player |
| Mary Elizabeth Lado | Professional figure competitor |
| Adam Loewen | Former professional baseball player |
| Russell Martin | Professional Major League Baseball player |
| Casey Mitchell | Professional Israeli Basketball Premier League basketball player |
| Ricky Polston | Current justice on the Florida Supreme Court |
| Chris Porter | Former professional National Basketball Association basketball player |
| Walker Russell, Jr. | Professional National Basketball Association basketball player |
| Buck Showalter | Professional Major League Baseball manager |
| Elam Stoltzfus | Environmental filmmaker and cinematographer with Live Oak Production Group |
| Darrell Williams | Professional Israeli Basketball Premier League basketball player |
| Eric Yelding | Former professional Major League Baseball player |
References
- ^ "Contact Lists". data.fldoe.org. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
- ^ December 2012 Florida Trend page 41
- ^ Chipola College - History Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://fosterfollynews.com/2014/03/07/chipola-finishes-second-in-brain-bowl-national-championship/
