Centennial Spotlight: Lois Carson
Distinguished alumna Lois Carson's legacy lives on at SBVC. A trailblazer in education,
San Bernardino Valley College alumna Lois Carson made history throughout her lifetime,
including as the first person of color elected to the San Bernardino Community College
District (SBCCD) Board of Trustees.
Learning was always important to Carson, and the Memphis native graduated as valedictorian from St. Augustine Catholic High School. She moved west with her husband of 55 years, Harry Carson, and they settled in the Inland Empire, where they raised their six children. Ready to continue her studies, she enrolled in classes at SBVC, and found the college "met my need at a critical time as a foundation to my education," she said during an interview with the SBVC Foundation.
After graduating in 1965, Carson went on to earn her bachelor's degree in English from Cal State San Bernardino and two master's degrees — one in English, the other in education — from UC Riverside. When she joined the SBCCD Board of Trustees in 1973, it marked the start of an impressive 24-year tenure that saw Carson serve two terms as president.
She was a strong advocate for EOPS, campus childcare, and transfer centers, and worked to ensure all students felt welcome.
"The community college is truly the people's college," she said.
Carson additionally had a storied 30-year career as executive director of the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County, which led to her twice being named Riverside County Administrator of the Year and receiving the 2007 Lyndon Baines Johnson Human Services Award for her work assisting lower-income families. She was also inducted into the SBVC Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997 and named Woman of the Year in California's 62nd District by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter, another SBVC alumna.
Following Carson's death in 2021, shortly after her 90th birthday, her legacy was cemented when SBVC renamed the Campus Center in her honor to Lois Carson Campus Center. Now, when students pass by the building or come inside, they will be reminded of this powerhouse mentor and advocate whose hard work and dedication shaped the college they attend today.
Learning was always important to Carson, and the Memphis native graduated as valedictorian from St. Augustine Catholic High School. She moved west with her husband of 55 years, Harry Carson, and they settled in the Inland Empire, where they raised their six children. Ready to continue her studies, she enrolled in classes at SBVC, and found the college "met my need at a critical time as a foundation to my education," she said during an interview with the SBVC Foundation.
After graduating in 1965, Carson went on to earn her bachelor's degree in English from Cal State San Bernardino and two master's degrees — one in English, the other in education — from UC Riverside. When she joined the SBCCD Board of Trustees in 1973, it marked the start of an impressive 24-year tenure that saw Carson serve two terms as president.
She was a strong advocate for EOPS, campus childcare, and transfer centers, and worked to ensure all students felt welcome.
"The community college is truly the people's college," she said.
Carson additionally had a storied 30-year career as executive director of the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County, which led to her twice being named Riverside County Administrator of the Year and receiving the 2007 Lyndon Baines Johnson Human Services Award for her work assisting lower-income families. She was also inducted into the SBVC Alumni Hall of Fame in 1997 and named Woman of the Year in California's 62nd District by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter, another SBVC alumna.
Following Carson's death in 2021, shortly after her 90th birthday, her legacy was cemented when SBVC renamed the Campus Center in her honor to Lois Carson Campus Center. Now, when students pass by the building or come inside, they will be reminded of this powerhouse mentor and advocate whose hard work and dedication shaped the college they attend today.
