Angelina College was founded on September 24, 1966, with construction of the original seven-building campus having begun in November 1967. It first opened its doors to students in the fall of 1968. Dr. Jack Hudgins was elected the first president of Angelina College December 12, 1966, by the trustees. Hudgins stepped down in 1991 and was succeeded by Dr. Larry Phillips. Hudgins remained on campus as a part-time music instructor. To honor his tenure as the president, the fine arts building was renamed Hudgins Hall in 2001. In 2015, Dr. Michael Simon succeeded Dr. Phillips as president making him the third president of the college.
The college offers a transfer core curriculum and associate degrees in 30 occupational programs, certificates, and associate of applied sciences degrees, 31 programs or classes in community services that lead to certifications or licensure, adult education, GED, and ESL courses. Angelina College averages 5,000 students per semester with the majority of those attending class on-campus. Angelina College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science degrees. In addition, it offers certificates and degrees in various programs tailored toward the local economy, especially programs in the medical field such as radiology, sonography, EMS, nursing, pharmacy technician, and surgical technician. One of its unique offerings is a licensed vocational nurse program, housed on the campus of Hudson Independent School District, supposedly the first such program in the nation to be offered on a high-school campus. The college also offers a bachelors of science in nursing and a master of science in nursing, through Texas A&M, to students enrolled in the program at the Lufkin Campus. This program was introduced to the college in 2016, and it is meant to benefit those students who have graduated with their ASN from Angelina College to continue their careers in nursing without having to leave the East Texas area.
Divisions
Academic programs in the college are organized into these divisions:
Business Division
Fine Arts Division
Liberal Arts Division
Technology and Workforce Division
Health Careers Division
Science and Mathematics Division
Organization and administration
As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Angelina College is:
all of Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Trinity, and Tyler Counties,
The school colors are royal blue, Columbia blue, orange, and white, and the school mascot is the Roadrunner. Angelina College competes in the NJCAA Region XIV Texas Eastern Conference in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer.