Northern Essex Community College - Lumen Yearbook (Haverhill, MA)

Page 11 text:

(old Greenleaf School) ers and searching out space, Northern Essex was granted the use of the old Greenleaf School (an ancient building, at one time the town hall). This was a proud but tired building. Its many years of use showed upon its face of leaning doors and sticking windows with their sad expression of surrender. Therefore, in 1961 the old Green- leaf was first condemned, and then renovated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and given new youth and six classrooms with space for laboratories, electronics equipment, and business machin- es. Mr. Bentley’s efforts were soon rewarded with a graduating class of one hundred and eighty-six students. Through the use of the Grange Hall and a church, Northern Essex grew stronger and larger. The city of Haverhill gave additional space in its former high school and helped to feed NECCO’s population as it grew from a student body of 186 to 1,8000 in the fall registration of 1970. As the student number grew so did the resources of its library which progressed from a small 4,500 volumes to a constantly grow- ing 35,000 volumes. On February 23, 1965, President Bentley and those following him, received a deed from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which opened up 110 acres of dreams to pursue. It was a deed which led to opportunities for people who wanted to learn but who before then could not. NECCO gave many individuals a second chance to find an education. Through the long journey of NECCO, many programs were created to bring out the needs and abilities of individuals. Some are: the nursing program, which was born in 1969; the child care program; and the work study program. Yet NECCO has remained personal despite its growth. 7

Page 10 text:

DEDICATION to President Harold Bentley Tattered walls— so used and tired, a floor which creaked with wea- riness, and long, warped halls of dusty age. To this place there came a man, who painted the dying walls with knowledge and woke the sleeping dust with the fresh breeze of thinking minds. In the October of 1960, Harold Bentley took on a task; one which required a strong will and held the possibility of many dis- appointments. When he was appointed Director (and eventually President) of Northern Essex Community College, he had nothing but his sincere dedication and love for learning to build with, but this seems to have been enough. After one year of collecting able teach- 6

Page 12 text:

(old Haverhill High School) The new strong and straight walls will need no sleep. The many halls will not crumble or give way beneath the weight of minds. The walls will glow with the designs of a billion thoughts. The “old” walls will rest now, having bequethed a strength to car- ry the mass of knowledge. A strength that will always be— youth. 8