Lehigh Carbon Community College will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the John and Dorothy Morgan Center for Higher Education, 234 High St., Tamaqua, from noon - 2 p.m. Sept. 26. Rain date is Sept. 27. The community is welcome to attend and is encouraged to RSVP before Sept. 12.

The festivities will include tours, refreshments and giveaways. Scheduled to speak are LCCC president Dr. Ann D. Bieber, State Sen. David Argall (R-29th) and former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker. In addition, alumni who have been positively impacted by the center’s presence in the community will describe their experiences at the center.

The center was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 26, 2003. Courses were first offered in fall 2003. It was constructed on the site of the former Tamaqua High School (1927), which later became a middle school.

Morgan, founder of J.E. Morgan Knitting Mills, left a legacy that allows for his charitable trust to continue his efforts to advance health care and higher education in the Tamaqua area. As a resident and prominent businessman in Tamaqua, his wish was to enhance opportunities for his neighbors so they could remain in the community.

In addition to the charitable contribution from the Morgan Foundation, Argall and Schweiker secured funds through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to construct the center.

Since the Morgan Center opened in the fall 2003, 7,720 credit students have attended classes there. Of these credit students, 2,233 have received an associate degree and 364 have received a certificate or diploma. In total, 10,866 students have attended credit, noncredit or workforce classes at the Morgan Center.

Over the past 20 years, the Morgan Center, known formally as LCCC Tamaqua at the Morgan Center, has provided an educational hub with general education coursework, business, criminal justice and more, housed the SHINE after-school administrative offices and the former Business and Entrepreneurship Center, and held a number of noncredit/workforce courses. The site hosts a range of community meetings, as well. The site has expanded to encompass the Lisa Jane Scheller Student Center, which houses the state-of-the-art nursing simulation center.

In addition to the campus site, the Morgan Foundation has provided nearly $4 million in scholarships for Tamaqua Area High School graduates either attending LCCC or other approved colleges and universities, and recently extended financial support to students in workforce (noncredit) programs.

For information on the event or LCCC Tamaqua at the Morgan Center: Amber Zuber, director of Site Educational Services, 570-225-7020.