These three commemorative speeches deal with the role of liberal education at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and at community colleges in general. John E. Cleek, JCCC president, outlines the growth in enrollment and facilities that characterized the first decade (1969-1979) of JCCC's development and discusses the possibility that, with the formation of an arts council and the establishment of an artist-in-residence program, JCCC could become a center for the arts in Johnson County during its second decade. Such a program, Cleek maintains, could be integrated into the college without diminishing the importance of career and vocational education. Mark Curtis, president of the Association of American Colleges, discusses the complementary nature of vocational and liberal education; expresses concern over the truncated character of technical education when it lacks a substantial liberal arts component; and cites examples of the successful integration of humanities into the curricula of medical, engineering, and community colleges. Finally, John Schonleber, an educational consultant, discusses the origins of liberal education, the different meanings liberal education has had over time, and the role that the college can play in eliminating the false disjunction between life and work. (JP)