Community College of Phila. Marks Its 49th Year With Big Plans
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Today is the 49th birthday for Community College of Philadelphia, which is kicking off a year's worth of events and activities leading up to next year's golden anniversary.
A campus reception this moring featuring live jazz marked the start of a yearlong celebration leading up to next year's 50th anniversary.
"We'll be doing some academic things that profile and sort of bring to light the many accomplishments of the college over the next year," says CCP president Dr. Donald Generals. "We hope to be able to identify and bring back home some of the alumni and some of the faculty that have worked here."
Among those alumni is Philadelphia fire commissioner Derrick Sawyer. By the way, on the drums at that reception was Generals himself.
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"Well, I've been playing the drums most of my life," he notes, adding, "If I was really good, I wouldn't have to have a day gig. I'd be doing this full-time."
Generals will be formally inaugurated in May.
CCP tuition was $165 a semester when the school opened forty-nine years ago. It's more than $2,500 now.