MOVING HISTORY FORWARD: Perry Christianson and further junior college expansion

The January installment of our NIJC story ended with Perry Christianson’s appointment as North Idaho College’s fourth president following the death of George Kildow in May 1962.

Christianson had come to work at the college in 1938 from North Dakota to teach chemistry and mathematics. He also served as dean of the college.  

Christianson had helped Dr. Kildow guide NIJC’s facility expansion, bringing 23 years of experience to the job. He was equipped with the right experiences to guide the college through yet another period of rapid growth and related facilities expansion. 

Enrollment increased by 26% in 1964 and 1965. That number was projected to swell even further, including significant out-of-county and out-of-state enrollees. For that reason, in August 1962, the board of trustees again collaborated with the Junior College Housing Commission to secure a $300,000, 50-year loan to construct a two-story, 100-bed dormitory to house 50 men and 50 women on campus.

Bids were opened in May 1963, and construction began within a month on college property across from the student union. The women’s wing of the dormitory was named to honor Mercy Gridley, NIJC’s first dean of women and social science instructor. The men’s wing was named in honor of Warren T. Shepperd, the trustee who was instrumental in securing state funding for the school and who served as the school’s first comptroller. [Note: Mr. Shepperd was my grandfather.] 

Because of limits placed on the number of mills the junior college district could assess its patrons, tax receipts began to fall short of what was needed for the maintenance and operation of the school. Hoping for help from the state, Christianson and the board lobbied for state funding for the college. Without increased state money, the school faced sharp enrollment limits. 

In 1964, the Idaho Legislature passed a measure establishing a fund designed to pay the difference between the resident ($97) and non-resident ($322) tuition fees for those students from outside the boundaries of the junior college district. Under the law, Idaho counties from where non-resident students hailed were expected to pay the $225 difference in fees and tuition. This ensured adequate funding met the staffing needs of the college. 

An increase of 800 students in 1965 led to an expansion of the student union building. A second level and 7,557 square feet of additional space were added. Included were a new entrance, a 450-seat dining room, a small student lounge, a bookstore and a game room costing $115,000. The loan to pay for it came from the same federal agency that funded the dormitory. 

Thus, between 1933 and 1965, Coeur d’Alene’s junior college had gone from occupying part of only one building to a nine-building campus. The school had also matured to the point where it was ready to move to the next level. In our final installment next month, we will learn about one last NIJC president and the school’s transition to full college status.

    Perry A. Christianson posed for this North Idaho College photo circa 1968 while working at his desk in Lee Hall. Christianson taught math and chemistry, coached basketball, and was Dean of the College before becoming the fourth president in the history of the junior college in 1962.