The History of Trident Technical College

For 45 years Trident Technical College has provided quality education and economic development in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. The college has grown over the decades, evolving to meet the complex needs of the diverse communities TTC serves and opening new doors to educational opportunities for lifelong learning.

1960s
The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Technical Education Center was founded in 1964 on a 25-acre site, as part of a statewide system established by Gov. Ernest F. Hollings to meet the educational and training needs of South Carolina. The center opened with two buildings, 226 students, and programs in industrial and engineering technology.

1970s
To accommodate its increasing growth, the center merged with Palmer College, a private business college in downtown Charleston, to form Trident Technical College. In addition to business, the newly formed college provided a wider variety of programs to the community, including allied health sciences, criminal justice and university transfer programs.

1980s
The 1980s saw additional changes that opened new opportunities to students. Palmer Campus moved to its current site in downtown Charleston, and the college built its Berkeley Campus near Moncks Corner. Technological advances during the decade increased accessibility with the introduction of academic computing, email, and televised courses, the first distance learning program.

1990s
The 1990s ushered in dramatic changes in instructional delivery, allowing the college to reach students who needed more flexibility. From courses on videotape to courses online, TTC was able to offer instruction to fit nearly every need. The first dual credit courses offered to Berkeley High School students marked the beginning of another rapidly-growing delivery system: the dual credit program that allows students to begin earning TTC credit while they are still in high school. In 1997, the first phase of the Complex for Economic Development opened on a newly-purchased 30-acre site adjacent to Main Campus. The new building provided space and technology for TTC’s Continuing Education Division to offer state-of-the-art training and teleconferencing, enriching once again the variety of services TTC could offer the Tri-County area.

2000s
As distance learning options continued to grow, the college continued expansion of physical facilities. Phase two of the Complex for Economic Development, a 230,000-square-foot facility, allowed for the development of both new and redesigned academic services: the Culinary Institute of Charleston, the Information Technology Center, The Learning Center, the Trident Aeronautical Training Center, the Nursing Auditorium, the Industrial Maintenance Technology Center, science labs and general classrooms. Palmer Campus renovations and construction included library facilities, labs, classrooms and offices, allowing for expansion of the Culinary Institute of Charleston and the addition of cosmetology and allied health programs at Palmer. In 2008 the college opened its St. Paul’s Parish site to provide job training opportunities in the southern part of Charleston County. In 2009 TTC began offering courses at the Dorchester County Career and Technology Center in Summerville. These new sites brought TTC’s existing programs and courses closer to home for many, enabling more members of the community to pursue higher education.