Bellevue College Celebrates 60 Years of Generational Growth

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For 60 years, Bellevue College has left a lasting impact on generations of families, community members, students, staff, and faculty.

Some have felt inclined to return to the school years after their initial stint there. Thomas Lee, an instructor and senior operations specialist at the school, is among them.

“My family often looked at (Bellevue College) as providing ample options and choices for exploration,” the second-generation Bellevue College student said. “Going from a student to the industry and just feeling that itch to come back to serve, I think, is what brought me back.”

It took many negotiations, handshakes, and public support for Bellevue to get its first college in 1966. In the ’60s, Bellevue was described by reporter and former The Bellevue American editor Neil McReynolds as a “sleepy little town” of 9,000 people. There was a growing cry for a college to serve the Eastside, but there were other school districts vying for the coveted facility. Legislation would only approve one Eastside school, and both Kirkland and Redmond wanted a community college for their respective cities. Thanks to the work of plucky reporters Chuck Morgan and McReynolds, a deal was brokered to position Bellevue as the city getting the sought-after school.

Legislation paving the way for Bellevue College’s founding was approved by then-Gov. Dan Evans in spring 1965; the college officially opened its doors the following January at Newport High School, attracting around 500 students its first year. Classes were held at night at the school while construction on the permanent building began.

The first phase of a $6-million construction project for the school began in December 1967; the first building opened to students in time for fall quarter 1969. The school subsequently went on to construct the Carlson Theatre, the Willard Geer Planetarium, a gymnasium, day care, welding classroom, athletic track, and more facilities by 1975.

Raechel Dawson is the associate director of communications at Bellevue College and has a close connection to the school: Both her parents and sister attended, and it’s also where she began her career as a reporter.

“You can have a strong connection to your institution (when you’re a student), but I think when you’re an adult, you often look back and realize what a special time you had. It’s kind of a nostalgic feeling,” Dawson said.

Dawson’s experience isn’t the only connection that ties her to the school: her late great-grandfather, Willard Geer, was the first physics teacher at the college. Geer was integral to the creation of Bellevue College’s planetarium, and after his passing in August 1975, the planetarium was named the Willard Geer Planetarium in his honor. The planetarium has recently gone through some upgrades and now has updated equipment like a 4K projector.

More renovations are on the horizon: Last year, the school broke ground on its 56,618-square-foot W Building, which is expected to open in winter 2027. It will serve as a modern arts hub with workshops, a makerspace, and more.

The school is celebrating six decades with a yearlong celebration that will finish with a nod to the future with the W Building’s opening. The school is also working toward its Climate Action Plan, which is leading the school to be carbon neutral by 2050.

From its early days as Bellevue Community College, the school has remained a constant for Eastside families who have watched it flourish and grow with each new generation.

“I remember my family talking about the reason why Bellevue Community College was created, and that was (to be) an educational and workforce opportunity for the immediate Eastside. We’re still true to that,” Lee said. “We listen pretty well to what our community needs, and we try to anticipate (where) our community is going.”