DACC to mark Founders' Day, board to meet in special session

DANVILLE — A free lunch on the quad for students, a bench dedication honoring a longtime educator and an evening celebration with additional honorees are all part of Danville Area Community College’s Founders’ Day event on Wednesday marking the college’s 80 years. 

DACC started as a junior college under Danville public schools in 1949 after initially being established as an extension center of the University of Illinois in 1946. It was named Danville Junior College in 1951.

In 1966, the college became an independent two-year area college with its own board of trustees and junior college district. The name Danville Junior College was changed to Danville Area Community College in 1979.

The college was housed until 1965 at Danville High School and is now located on a 75-acre campus on Danville’s east side. The campus utilizes 61 acres and several historic buildings acquired from the Veterans Administration.

DACC also has a Higher Learning Center in Hoopeston.

To celebrate the college’s 80 years and Wednesday marking the first day of the college’s classes at DHS in 1946, DACC is hosting a lunch, games and music for students.

DACC President Randy Fletcher said the student gathering leads up to other programs later in the day to recognize DACC’s founding honorees.

A bench dedication outside the Bremer Conference Center will occur at 3:30 p.m. for Martha Kay, who died last year and had served as Liberal Arts faculty and division dean.

Fletcher said the college also has other benches dedicated for those who impacted the college. This dedication for Kay was organized by some of her fellow faculty and administrators. 

Fletcher recalls being a junior faculty member at DACC when Kay was about to retire in 1997. She taught rhetoric, literature and humanities, and Fletcher said they worked on a first composition course for online delivery.

“It was a lot of fun working with Martha,” he said.

He also worked with her in the early 2000s on the college’s 10-year accreditation renewal.

“She was one of the original faculty members that worked with Mary Miller (DACC’s first president),” Fletcher said.

Social time will follow the bench dedication with music, drinks and food.

Kay also is one of four honorees at the 5 p.m. Founders’ Day Celebration at the John and Kay Shaner Theater inside the Bremer Center.

At the program, Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. will present a proclamation and there will be an unveiling of a 2016-2026 Founders’ Day Collage and remarks from Fletcher and the 80th Anniversary Committee.

Kay will be recognized by Missy Gouty, former DACC rhetoric instructor.

The other honorees: the late Nancy Bates who was former chairwoman of the DACC board of trustees and former foundation board member who will be recognized by former DACC President Alice Marie Jacobs; Dave Kietzmann who was a former DACC student, faculty, administrator and foundation board president and will be recognized by DACC Foundation Executive Director Tonya Hill; and Dr. George Richards, former board chair and former foundation board member, who will be recognized by founding community member Sybil Mervis.

Fletcher said Bates was very instrumental in a lot of DACC’s building renovations and construction in the early 2000s. 

Fletcher said of Kietzmann, “he was my mentor” and they’ve maintained a great professional relationship and friendship for 30 years.

Richards, who won’t be in attendance, is a local veterinarian and was honored too in the spring. 

Fletcher said the Founders’ Day event is a “wonderful” opportunity to celebrate the history of DACC.

He said the college is building on its legacy of providing quality affordable education, and the instilled values and foundations that Mary Miller brought to the college 80 years ago live on.

“It’s a testament to those that gave their entire life’s work to this institution,” Fletcher added. “I’m honored to be the sitting president when we can honor these amazing human beings…”

The day will bring full recognition to the founders. Many of their teaching practices are still used today, “to convey learning and lead this institution forward,” he said.

The business of the college also continues next week, as the DACC board will have a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday to act on new faculty union contract that expired in July. The board prior in closed session is expected to discuss the collective bargaining matters, evaluation of Fletcher and other items.

Fletcher said college officials had been “actively engaged in bargaining” with the Education Staff Association and the new collective bargaining agreement “was overwhelmingly supported by our faculty.” The new contract is retroactive to July 1 and runs through June 30, 2029.

Fletcher’s annual evaluation is part of his contract. He became the college’s eighth president in June 2025 after serving as interim since Dec. 2024.