Our History

  • 1960’s:
    • 1960 The College opens as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center
    • 1963 The North Carolina Department of Community Colleges is established and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center passes to the new community college system
    • 1964 The College adopts a new name, Forsyth Technical Institute
    • 1964-1965 General Adult Enrichment Courses begin
    • 1965 Adult Basic Education begins
  • 1970’s:
    • 1971-1972 The allied health program is created, offering courses in three areas: nuclear medicine, radiological technology and respiratory therapy
    • 1971 The criminal justice program is added
    • 1972 A two-year nursing degree program is added
    • 1974 The College Foundation is created to work with alumni to raise funds for buildings, programs and scholarships
  • 1980’s:
    • Expansion leads to the acquisition of the Dalton Junior High School site (which later becomes the Institute’s West Campus site in Winston-Salem)
    • Ground is broken for a technology building, Hauser Hall, on the main campus
    • 1985 The school’s name changes to Forsyth Technical College
    • 1987 The School acquires its current name, Forsyth Technical Community College
    • 1989 The College Transfer Program begins
  • 1990’s:
    • 1991 Bob Greene Hall is added, with spacious classrooms and laboratories
    • 1992 Allman Center is created, with more classrooms and administrative space
    • The Continuing Education Division builds two training sites in downtown Winston-Salem to better serve the business and industry sectors
    • 1998 Two new off-campus centers are added: the Mazie S. Woodruff Center in Northeast Winston-Salem and the Grady P. Swisher Center in Kernersville
  • 2000’s
    • 2006 A five-story, 85,000 square foot technology building opens on the college’s main campus, allowing Forsyth Tech to provide diverse technology training. It houses the Thomas H. Davis iTEC Center, the bookstore, student activities, classrooms/labs, training rooms and faculty and staff offices.
    • Another construction project commences on Main Campus, adding 20,000 square feet to Greene Hall
    • 2008 The school opens a third off-campus building, the Northwest Forsyth Center in King, housing specialized training facilities for the Criminal Justice, Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Science programs. It also offers the citizens of Northwest Forsyth and Stokes counties a more accessible venue for curriculum and continuing education courses.
  • 50th Anniversary
    • Forsyth Tech opened in 1960 as the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Industrial Education Center, and we celebrated our golden anniversary during the 2010-2011 academic year. We thank everyone who made it a special year.
    • For fun, check out 50 facts you didn’t know about Forsyth Tech here.
    • Also, listen to interviews with former and present faculty, staff members, and students from across the decades here.

Future Plans

Connect NC Bond Act of 2016

Forsyth Tech is designated $5.8 million of this $2 billion bond package to:

  • Renovate the college’s Forsyth Building on Main Campus
  • Upgrade utility and technology infrastructure
  • Demolish obsolete and unsafe structures
  • Construct a technical education center in Stokes County.

Stokes County Center

This 20,000 sq. ft. center in Walnut Cove, expected to open in fall 2016, is designed to meet the educational needs of Stokes County’s growing population with: