History of the College

South Suburban College was founded in 1927 as Thornton Junior College. At that time, the College was an extension of Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois. The Illinois Community College Act of 1965 created Community College District 510 and enlarged the area served to include high school districts 205, 215 and 228 (Thornton, Thornton Fractional, and Bremen). In 1969 the name was changed to Thornton Community College to emphasize the comprehensive mission of the College. The College moved into its existing main campus facilities in 1972. In June of 1988, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the institution to South Suburban College to more accurately reflect the geographic location of the College. In an effort to serve the western portion of the district and to provide opportunities for district residents to complete a four-year degree, the Oak Forest Center was opened in Oak Forest in 1992.