Thursday, November 13, 2025

As part of its yearlong Centennial Celebration, Muskegon Community College is inviting the community to the next installment of MCC’s Centennial Lecture Series. “The Bold Dream on Marquette & Quarterline (1960–1996),” an historic social event and lecture, which will explore how the college’s iconic main campus came to be and the transformative decades that followed.

Hosted by MCC Social Sciences Faculty Chair George Maniates and MCC Archivist Emily Busch, the lecture will highlight the vision and determination that brought the campus to life during the early 1960s, as well as the college’s profound impact from 1960 through 1996. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how MCC’s modern identity took shape during this period of internal development and strife, community partnership, and educational growth.

Guests meanwhile, will have the opportunity to view an exclusive portion of MCC’s recorded interview with 93-year-old Bill Gillmore, the main architect who alongside renowned architect Alden B. Dow designed the college’s distinctive main campus. The interview offers firsthand insight into the creative process and collaboration that produced one of Muskegon’s most recognizable landmarks.

What: The Bold Dream on Marquette & Quarterline
When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Where: The Overbrook Theater: 221 S. Quarterline Rd. Muskegon, MI.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public

Muskegon Community College will celebrate its 100th anniversary on June 20, 2026. Since its founding a century ago, MCC has served as a cornerstone of the Lakeshore—shaping generations of students, strengthening the local workforce, and enriching the cultural and economic vitality of West Michigan. The yearlong Centennial Celebration will honor 100 years of excellence in education while looking ahead to the next century of preparing students, building communities, and improving lives.