El Centro College

Department store location. On may 25th 1965, less then two years after the initial report to the Chamber of Commerce ant its decision to work for the community college system, the College District and $41.5 million in bonds for the construction of the first four colleges including El Centro. Thus, El Centro College became the flagship college of the district. Its name, which reflects the center of the downtown area, was approved somewhat by accident. Other names had been considered by the trustees, including Coronado, Chbola and Nimitz. However a few minutes before the vote on a name was taken, Hattie Bell Hoffman, executive secretary to the trustees and the only full-time employee of the district, saved the day and suggested El Centro as a more representative name.
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