In 1934, during the Great Depression and after several years of planning, residents of the Goose Creek Independent School District voted to establish Lee Junior College to expand higher education opportunities for area residents. One hundred seventy-seven students registered during the fall 1934 semester and paid less than $15 per semester in fees. The junior college first shared facilities with Robert E. Lee High School, and classes met at night. In 1935, four women made up the first graduating class, and vocational education began with a non-credit class in child psychology. The school’s name changed to Lee College in 1948, and it first used a separate campus in 1951. In 1965, the college separated from Goose Creek C.I.S.D. and obtained its own board of regents. In 1966, Lee College instituted a college-level program in Huntsville at the Texas Department of Corrections, becoming a pioneer in prison education. Designed to reduce recidivism by offering inmates educational opportunities, that program remains a vital part of the college’s programming. The Lee College honors program was established in 1974 to serve gifted and highly motivated students by preparing them for success in education and employment opportunities, with seminar-format classes and scholarships awarded for academic excellence. Lee College continues to offer academic, vocational-technical, and continuing education classes to residents of Baytown and the surrounding area.