The evolution of Montgomery College (MC), in Maryland, has taken place in four chronological phases: the founding years (1946-1950); the years of establishment of the college (1950-1965); the years of transition and development (1965-1980); and the period of college consolidation and enhancement (1980 to the present). The college was established in 1946 by the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE), and offered its first courses in the evening at a local high school. In its opening year, MC enrolled 186 students, increasing enrollment to 473 by the 1949-50 academic year. In addition to recent high school graduates, a substantial proportion of MC's first students were veterans returning from World War II. By the second year of operation, temporary buildings were constructed on the high school campus. In 1950, MC was granted formal accreditation and, shortly thereafter, moved to a newly purchased site in Takoma Park. Between 1950 and 1964, fall semester enrollment increased from 541 to 2,780 students, and degree programs increased from 19 to 30. Following desegregation legislation in 1954, the George Washington Carver Junior College in Rockville was incorporated as a branch of MC. In 1961, the MCBE purchased close to 100 acres of land in Rockville, and by 1965 a new campus was opened at the site, marking the beginning of MC's growth into a multi-campus community college. The 1960's and 1970's were marked by increasing student participation in governance, and a growing multicultural student body. By 1980, the college offered services at three campuses and had an annual enrollment of approximately 50,000 students. (PAA)