Wor-Wic Community College is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. From a “college without walls” to a 200-acre campus, the school has grown significantly since its founding in 1975.
Originally known as Wor-Wic Tech Community College, it was the only school of its kind in Maryland that offered education and training programs by leasing existing facilities at its founding, rather than starting with a campus. In 1975, the college was approved by the state and Dr. Arnold Maner was named president of the college. The first class, “The Licensed Practical Nurse as a Charge Nurse,” was held at the Holly Center in Salisbury.
In the beginning, the college’s administrative office was in the old Salisbury Mall. By the fall of 1976, 200 students were enrolled in fall credit classes in seven programs of study: accounting, business management, hotel-motel management, law enforcement, liberal arts and sciences, retail management and secretarial science.
Over the years, the college dropped “Tech” from its name, moved its offices several times and held classes in many different locations. In 1994, the college finally got its walls – the first building, now known as Brunkhorst Hall, opened in August 1994 in the current campus location on the corner of Walston Switch Road and Route 50 in Salisbury. Following Maner’s retirement in 2000, Dr. Ray Hoy became president, steering the institution through transformative decades until 2023, when Deborah Casey, Ph.D., began her tenure as Wor-Wic’s third president.
Today, Wor-Wic’s vibrant campus is a testament to its commitment to progress. Students benefit from 10 modern buildings, a café, a bookstore and a child care center. From the specialized training facilities of Shockley Hall for health professions and Guerrieri Hall for criminal justice to the hands-on innovation of the Patricia and Alan Guerrieri Technology Center, each building added to campus has represented a step forward in meeting the demands of modern industries.
These facilities empower students in fields like healthcare, criminal justice, education, hospitality and cutting-edge technical careers, ensuring a skilled workforce ready to drive the region’s growth. In fiscal year 2023, Wor-Wic added $148.9 million in income to the economy of the Lower Shore of Maryland, a value approximately equal to 1.5% of the region’s total gross regional product. Thousands of students walk its halls each year, and most graduates stay in the region, contributing to the local economy and fulfilling the college’s original purpose of building a stronger workforce and a more vibrant community.
Wor-Wic will celebrate its half-century throughout 2025 with special events and activities all year long, including a reading by Ada Limón, U.S. poet laureate, on Wednesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. Visit worwic.edu/50-years for more information.
WOR-WIC ORIGINS. Wor-Wic Community College’s first office registered students in the long-demolished Salisbury Mall.
10TH ANNIVERSARY. County and college officials participate in a 10th anniversary celebration for Wor-Wic Community College in 1985. From left, Robert M. Lawrence, a member of the board of trustees; Gertrude W. Shockley, board chairman; Dr. Arnold H. Maner, president of Wor-Wic; William H. Kerbin and Thelma Conner, board members; Bruce Ruark, Wicomico County councilman; and Marvin McGoogan, board vice-chair.
CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION. Ground was broken on the first Wor-Wic Community College building in 1993. That building, now known as Brunkhorst Hall, opened on the corner of Route 50 and Walston Switch Road in 1994.
CAMPUS FROM ABOVE. A recent aerial photograph shows the growth of Wor-Wic Community College, to include 10 buildings and a solar parking lot.
