Florida Keys Community College

The southernmost institution of the “Great 28” in the Florida College System, FKCC has experienced tremendous growth in campus facilities and educational programming since its establishment in 1965. In 1963, the Florida Legislature authorized the establishment of the Junior College District of Monroe County to be supported primarily by state funds. The first classes were held at the former Douglass High School in the fall of 1965. In 1968, the College name was changed to Florida Keys Junior College upon the opening of the main campus on Stock Island. FKCC experienced several key developments in its early years that accommodated expansions in student enrollment and the scope of offerings. The first 20 years brought the establishment of programs such as Diving, Business, and Emergency Medical Services as well as the opening of the Upper Keys Center in Tavernier 1980 and the Middle Keys Center in Marathon in 1982. With each decade came further enhancements to campus facilities. In the 1990s, the Charlie Toppino Welding Technology Lab was completed, as well as the Ron Saunders Student Center and the Public Safety Building. A new scuba diving complex was developed to provide the much-needed space for the diving program. In 1997, the College unveiled a new $40 million campus named after Dr. William A. Seeker, the College President who helped to garner legislative funding required to reconstruct the aging buildings.