The reciprocal relationship of college founding and social factors in the external environment was studied in connection with the first public junior college in three states. The three cases were: Saginaw Junior College (reportedly established in 1895 in Michigan); McCook Junior College (1926, Nebraska); and Springfield Junior College (1917, Massachusetts). Attention was directed to: how the colleges originated and their antecedents; factors leading to the establishment of the college; and the conditions, factors, or persons influencing each school's development. In comparing three local institutional histories, information was obtained from newspapers and college publications, histories of higher education in each state, histories of local and state history, and pertinent journal articles and dissertation. For each of the three colleges, the economy, the civic and business support for public education, and the political environment and its relations with the schools all influenced the nature of college founding. College founding in these cases was related to other aspects of educational reform. It was affected by, and sometimes dependent upon, the success of political, economic, and social reforms. (SW)