In 1958, then-Gov. Albert Rosellini helped open a new chapter in education in Clark County.
Rosellini was among the dignitaries who took part in the dedication when Clark Junior College, as it was called, opened a 60-acre campus on land that had been part of Vancouver Barracks.
In his dedication address, the governor struck a theme that still is relevant.
Read the full story on the death of former Gov. Albert Rosellini.
“Our state must give serious thought to the extension of educational opportunities beyond high school,” Rosellini said, according to an Oct. 27, 1958, story in The Columbian.
On a day The Columbian described as “brimful of activities and excitement,” Rosellini also noted how the economy can benefit from community and junior colleges.
In addressing another regional resource, Rosellini said he was interested in an effort to protect the Columbia River Gorge, but didn’t feel it was his job to start the process.
Residents of Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties asked Rosellini to appoint a committee to help save the natural beauty of the Gorge, according to a March 18, 1958 story.
“While I would certainly like to aid you … in the matter, I would suggest that you might consider the Legislature as the real starting place for the project contemplated,” the governor told Dorothy Carlson, president of the Vancouver Business and Professional Women’s Club.
Momentum began building in the early 1980s for federal protection of the Gorge. President Ronald Reagan signed the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act in November 1986.
