​Celebrated Past. Boundless Future.

Discover the history of Santa Ana College. As we celebrate our centennial, take a journey through our long and storied history.

1980

September 13: The Centennial Education Center was dedicated. Located in the northeast segment of Centennial Regional Park, this facility replaced the Career Education Center, a converted warehouse at 2116 W. Chestnut in Santa Ana.

1981

The Johnson Campus Center was dedicated and named in honor of John E. Johnson, SAC president for over two decades (1957 to 1979) who helped expand the college into the larger multicampus Rancho Santiago Community College District, and served as superintendent from 1971 to his retirement in 1979.

1982

March 26: ESL students protested class cuts that affected an estimated 2,000 people.

1983

May 6: Paul Conrad, a Los Angeles Times political cartoonist, spoke at Santa Ana College. His theme was “Art in Politics.”

1984

Dr. Robert Jensen became SAC president and would serve until 1991.

April 26: Santa Ana College launched a weekly student-produced Around and About Orange County cable news program.

1985

Students and staff joined with other community union workers in a picket demonstration on 17th Street in support of César Chávez’s farm workers union protest against local markets selling farm produce harvested by non-union labor.

For the first time, students received credit through the “Work Experience” program at Santa Ana College. The program allowed students to earn college units for employment in jobs that directly related to their field of study. A new 2.0 GPA rule was approved that required student athletes to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in order to participate in athletic programs.

February 1: New intramural program was launched at Santa Ana College. Students competed in 14 activities and awards were presented in team and individual categories.

March: A campus was opened in the rapidly expanding area of Orange Acres.After months of deliberation, Santa Ana College officially changed its name to Rancho Santiago College. The name change was justified because of an identity problem for the communities served by the new satellite campus. The name change was debated throughout the community.

1987

February 27: The Governor’s budget included a $389,000 grant for the development of the Learning Center in what was the west patio of the Johnson Center building. The 3,600-square-foot project included almost 1,000 square feet of computer-aided instruction laboratory space, five offices, a reception area and lab services.