Huntington Junior College

During the mid-1930s, Huntington resident Chester A. Riley, Jr., identified the need for an institution to prepare the city's workforce for the skilled manufacturing and office positions that were available as a result of the area's economic growth. Riley and his wife, Peggy, established Huntington Junior College in 1936 in downtown Huntington. On its opening day, the college's faculty consisted of two teachers and its student population consisted of five secretarial students. Its initial curriculum consisted of courses in shorthand, typing, and bookkeeping. For its first two years in operation, Huntington Junior College was located at 920 Fifth Avenue, above the present location of Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House. Chester A. Riley, Jr., served as the college's president for over 60 years. Around 1980, Huntington Junior College relocated to the former Cabell County Public Library building in downtown Huntington at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street. The college renovated the library building to accommodate its academic programs while preserving the structure's historic integrity. On November 14, 1997, Huntington Junior College was accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[5] Huntington Junior College commemorated its 75th anniversary of its establishment on August 31, 2011.From its foundation in 1936 until 2011, more than approximately 5,200 people had graduated from Huntington Junior College. In September 2012, the college was re-accredited through the 2021-2022 school year by The Higher Learning Commission.