| Although American higher education has had a long history of private philanthropic support, community, technical and junior colleges have not enjoyed the same generosity as four-year institutions. Beginning in 1960, increased support for two-year colleges was received from foundations interested in furthering their educational aims. This support was the result of the American Association of Junior Colleges' (AAJC) leadership on behalf of two-year colleges. The W. K. Kellogg Foundation became the first major philanthropic organization to provide financial support for junior and community colleges, and their grant funding influenced federal and state legislatures to accept and validate two-year college programs and implement federal policy initiatives that resulted in financial support.;The focus of this investigation is the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's influence on community college policies and practices between the years 1960 to 1980. This is a historical research study, which is a form of qualitative research. For the purposes of this study, three specific methods were utilized for data collection: site visit, individual interviews, and primary document analysis. The primary mode of data analysis was the grounded theory approach.;The findings from this study can be grouped into four broad areas: The W. K. Kellogg Foundation support of a national educational organization, support of community colleges, the evolution of funding, and finally, the impact of the Foundation's funding.;The W. K. Kellogg Foundation's support of a national association was first premised on the importance of leadership, a shared philosophy, and the importance of people and communities. Secondly, the Foundation chose to support two-year colleges because of the observed congruence between their philosophy and the junior college mission as well as a shared value of learning. The evolutionary pattern of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation's funding from 1960 to 1980 can best be described as supporting junior college leadership in general and program development specifically. The effect of the Foundation's funding led to increased credibility for the junior colleges and to the development of programs that became a permanent part of the community college curriculum. Ultimately, the Foundation's support facilitated the junior college's evolution to the community college today. |
