John Wood Community College was founded in 1974 to provide post-secondary education for residents of
Community College District 539. The college is named after
John Wood, founder of Quincy and 12th governor of Illinois. JWCC began classes in 1975 with 668 enrolled students. Authorized by the
Illinois General Assembly and signed by
Illinois Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. in 1961, the legislation enacted created the
Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). The IBHE was tasked by statute with formulating a Master Plan for
Higher Education in the state of Illinois. In July 1964 the higher education master plan was published by the IBHE, which led to the passage of the Junior College Act of 1965 by the 72nd Illinois General Assembly. However, it was not until 1974 that official steps were taken to form a community college within the district boundaries. The board of trustees contracted with area colleges such as
Culver-Stockton College,
Hannibal-LaGrange College,
Quincy College, who would enroll students in their courses on behalf of JWCC. The first class graduated from JWCC on May 22, 1976, without ever having attended class at a college owned facility. The college acquired classroom facilities of its own in 1983 when JWCC purchased and renovated the former Lincoln Elementary School at 48th and Maine streets. College programs and services were located in this building until January 2002. The Common Market approach coexisted with campus-based instruction until 1991, when rising costs compelled the JWCC
Board of Trustees to end the common market contract with Quincy College. Other contracts were not renewed as they expired. Due to increasing enrollment, and the phasing out of the Common Market, the college purchased three prefabricated buildings in 1991 to hold classes. By 1996, growth was significant enough that JWCC's board of trustees voted to purchase a site at 48th and Harrison Streets, in Quincy, Illinois. In 1997, the Board of Trustees adopted its Master Plan for a new campus. The first building, the Science and Technology Center was built and occupied in January 1998. This was followed by the next buildings in the plan; the Learning Center, a Student & Administrative Center, and a Maintenance Building in January 2002. A $16 million project, the new buildings added nearly to the size of the college. Funding was split between the college and the State of Illinois. In 2004, the Paul Heath Community Education and Fine Arts Center was completed. The buildings house JWCC's community education, fine arts and Business and Industry Training offices. In 2006, a Student Activity Center (SAC) was completed, that included an 1,800-seat gymnasium, weight room, classroom, locker rooms, and athletic team training rooms. A baseball field, softball field, and additional parking were built as a part of the SAC project. ==Campus==