Bishop State Community College is a public, two-year historically Black college in Mobile, AL, with campuses and facilities throughout Mobile and Washington Counties.
Established in the summer of 1927 as the Mobile Branch of Alabama State College (now known as Alabama State University), Bishop State was created to offer extension courses for African American teachers in the Mobile region. Its initial mission was driven by the critical need for trained Black educators in Alabama’s segregated public school system.
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In 1936, the Mobile branch was restructured into a year-round junior college, with O.H. Johnson serving as its inaugural dean. The school acquired land on North Broad Street in 1942, establishing its current main campus. It was renamed Alabama State College – Mobile Center in 1965, then, by legislation, separated from Alabama State College and became Mobile State Junior College.
In 1971, it was named S.D. Bishop State Junior College to honor Dr. Sanford D. Bishop, its first president. Finally, it adopted the name Bishop State Community College in 1989.
Bishop State grew by merging with other technical colleges in the Mobile area. Southwest State Technical College, established in 1947, and Carver State Technical College, founded in 1962, later became campuses of Bishop State, enhancing its focus on workforce and technical training.
Currently, the college provides programs in academic transfer, health sciences, career and technical training, workforce development, adult education, GED prep, and early college initiatives.
Recently, Bishop State has focused on advanced manufacturing, health sciences, online education, and workforce collaborations. The college established the Gene Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Technology to facilitate training in areas like robotics, process technology, industrial maintenance, and electronics engineering technology. Its health sciences buildings back programs including nursing and physical therapist assistant training.
Bishop State continues to be a key access point to higher education in Mobile and southwest Alabama. In Fall 2025, it reached its highest enrollment in 20 years with 4,505 students.
As an HBCU in the Alabama Community College System, Bishop State Community College remains committed to expanding educational opportunities and preparing students for transfer, careers, and community leadership.
Selected Sources:
- Bishop State Community College. “Our History.”
- Encyclopedia of Alabama. “Bishop State Community College.”
- Bishop State Community College. “Programs of Study.”
- Bishop State Community College. “Career and Technical Education.”