FOUNDED AS: Delgado Central Trades School, 1921 NOW: Delgado Community College |
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Delgado Trades School, 1927 |
Isaac Delgado was a wealthy nineteenth century businessman. His philanthropies included the arts, medicine and education. In a 1909 codicil to his will, he bequeathed the residue of his estate to the City of New Orleans to establish a manual trade school for boys. Land was purchased for the current fifty-seven-acre City Park Campus adjacent to New Orleans City Park. The original building on City Park Avenue was constructed and furnished. Delgado Central Trades School opened its doors in 1921. After flourishing in the '20's, the school saw hard times during the Great Depression, but it was revived during WWII by the need for skilled workers in aircraft construction and in metal and woodworking trades. However, it again fell on difficult financial times in the 1950's. A study was undertaken in 1956 and the recommendations from the study were adopted. Delgado was expanded to a technical institute at the junior college level. The name of the school was changed to Delgado Trades and Technical Institute and a technical two-year college program was implemented. In the 1960s, Delgado Institute became Delgado Vocational-Technical Junior College and was recognized as a comprehensive community/junior college for Louisiana. In 1980, the name was changed to Delgado Community College and, i982, the administration of the college was moved into a new building at 501 City Park Avenue. Since then, the City Park Campus has grown dramatically and seven additional campuses have brought Delgado Community College to all areas of metropolitan New Orleans. Today, Delgado is recognized as Louisiana's oldest and largest community college. |
Above & below, 1920's |