Orlando Junior College, a two year, independent, coeducational institution of higher learning was chartered under the Laws of Florida in the spring of 1941. In 1969, due to inability to compete with the new Valencia Community College, Orlando Junior College voted to convert the college campus into a college preparatory school and name it Lake Highland Preparatory School.
VIEW The history and organization of Orlando Junior College located at 901 North Highland Avenue in Orlando.
Brochure excerpt: For more than a quarter of a century OJC has both taught and practiced the free enterprise system and is proud that no tax money has ever been accepted from the city, county, state, or federal government. The institution is equally independent of any church control but has ever had a positive Christian orientation and a strong stand for Americanism and constitutional government. As outlined in the Lake Highland Preparatory School History, in 1969 Orlando Junior College voted to convert the college campus into a college preparatory school and name it Lake Highland Preparatory School.
VIEW Statement of Principles, page 1
VIEW Statement of Principles, page 2
Excerpt from oral history interview with Joseph S. Guernsey, May 26, 2012.
LISTEN (4:29)
Joseph S. Guernsey, who served as Board Chairman of College of Orlando, would later start Lake Highland Preparatory School at the corner of Marks Street and Highland Avenue, just a few blocks from where he attended grade school. We asked him about how Lake Highland Preparatory School began which he discusses in this audio excerpt from an oral history interview on May 21, 2012.
Mr. Guernsey presently serves on the Board of Trustees for Lake Highland Preparatory School. Regarding the school, Mr. Guernsey says, “I enjoy being there with the wonderful president we have at the school, Warren Hudson; and the wonderful faculty and staff and, of course, the students are incomparable. They’re so fine and so bright, so many of them. It helps keep me reasonably young in spirit.”
Joseph S. Guernsey is the grandson of Orlando’s banking pioneer Joseph L. Guernsey who came here in 1886, purchased considerable property from the city center to Colonial Drive, as well as residences on Lake Eola and Lake Ivanhoe. Joseph L. Guernsey’s son, Joseph W. Guernsey, would continue in the family banking business, Guernsey and Warfield, and real estate enterprises. After serving his country as a pilot in WWII and flying as an airline pilot for Pan American, Joseph S. Guernsey returned to Orlando to enter the real estate business. He founded the Florida Mortgage Service, Orlando Federal Savings and Loan Association, served as leader of the realty firm, Guernsey, Green and Slemons, and founded Lake Highland Preparatory School in addition to serving in numerous leadership positions in church and civic life.
VIEW Orlando Evening Sentinel, October 31, 1949 article on the leadership qualities of Joseph S. Guernsey.
Mr. Guernsey was born on October 12, 1918 and died on November 1, 2016.
Read his obituary and family history.
To learn more about Joseph Guernsey and his family, search OrlandoMemory.info using the term “Guernsey”.
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Joseph S. Guernsey
Orlando Evening Sentinel, October 31, 1949 article on the leadership qualities of Joseph S. Guernsey. Joseph S. Guernsey is the grandson of Orlando's...
Orlando Junior College - Photo of school
Orlando Junior College brochure featuring a photo of the college from North Highland Avenue, the same building which is used today by...
Orlando Junior College - Trustees
Orlando Junior College, a two year, independent, coeducational institution of higher learning was chartered under the Laws of Florida in the spring...
Orlando Junior College - History and Organization
The history and organization of Orlando Junior College located at 901 North Highland Avenue in Orlando. Brochure excerpt: For more than a quarter...
Orlando Junior College - Statement of Principles, page 1
Orlando Junior College A Statement of Principles. Orlando Junior College, a two year, independent, coeducational institution of higher learning was ch...
Orlando Junior College, Statement of Principles, page 2
Orlando Junior College A Statement of Principles. Orlando Junior College, a two year, independent, coeducational institution of higher learning was ch...
Lake Highland Preparatory School - Orlando College Campus
Joseph S. Guernsey, Board Chairman, reports the success of the trustees campaign to raise funds for Lake Highland Preparatory School. The school took...
Joseph S. Guernsey's friendship with Carl Langford started in the second grade at Marks Street School when a bully picked on him and Carl came to his rescue. Mr. Guernsey recalls that Carl Langford, who would later become Mayor Carl Langford, "was a wonderful person, a fellow with a bright mind who was a lot of fun. A fellow who was helpful to me all during my life."
Joseph S. Guernsey, who served as Board Chairman of College of Orlando, would later start Lake Highland Preparatory School at the corner of Marks Street and Highland Avenue, just a few blocks from where he attended grade school. We asked him about how Lake Highland Preparatory School began which he discusses in this audio excerpt from an oral history interview on May 21, 2012.
Mr. Guernsey presently serves on the Board of Trustees for Lake Highland Preparatory School. Regarding the school, Mr. Guernsey says, "I enjoy being there with the wonderful president we have at the school, Warren Hudson; and the wonderful faculty and staff and, of course, the students are incomparable. They're so fine and so bright, so many of them. It helps keep me reasonably young in spirit."
Joseph S. Guernsey is the grandson of Orlando's banking pioneer Joseph L. Guernsey who came here in 1886, purchased considerable property from the city center to Colonial Drive, as well as residences on Lake Eola and Lake Ivanhoe. Joseph L. Guernsey's son, Joseph W. Guernsey, would continue in the family banking business, Guernsey and Warfield, and real estate enterprises. After serving his country as a pilot in WWII and flying as an airline pilot for Pan American, Joseph S. Guernsey returned to Orlando to enter the real estate business. He founded the Florida Mortgage Service, Orlando Federal Savings and Loan Association, served as leader of the realty firm, Guernsey, Green and Slemons, and founded Lake Highland Preparatory School in addition to serving in numerous leadership positions in church and civic life.
I attended OJC 1960 -62 after being discharged from navy service. Never thought I would go to college. I went on to a BA and MA in International Affairs at FSU, a second AA degree in Law Enforcement from College of Desert in Palm Springs, and finally a second MA in criminal justice from Fordham U. My OJC was my most valuable college experience as I was never expect to go to college much less excel in college. OJC gave me the confidence to continue my studies. Thank you OJC.
Greetings Mr. Brown! Thank you for visiting the Orlando Junior College post on Orlando Memory and thank you for sharing your wonderful “testimony”. We hope you find additional posts on Orlando Memory that bring back happy memories of days gone by and continue to share with us all. THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
Hello, my sister attended OJC I believe in the fall of 1967 – 1968 or 1969. She was as on the homecoming’ court in one of those years. Her name was Sharon Leigh Bryan. She wore a long cranberry velvet dress and very pretty She is in Hospice Care right now and I am gathering pictures of her life, I wonder if you have a picture of the Homecoming Court during the aforementioned years. Thank you
Greetings Cindy! We are so sorry to hear that your sister is in hospice care. We do not have any photos from Orlando Junior College. Perhaps reach out to the Orange County Regional History Center and ask if they might have any yearbooks that may include a photo. https://www.thehistorycenter.org/ Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory. We wish it could have been for a happier reason. We will keep your family in our thoughts during this difficult time. THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
As I sipped my coffe this morning, for some reason my year at OJC came unto my mind. I wondered if there existed a picture in the archives of the 1969/70 OJC basketball team of which I was a member. I Googled and found your site. any such pictures exist?
I was also disturbed about the Wikipedia description of OJC as a decidedly segregationist and racist school. If that is true, I had absolutely no idea of that when I enrolled. I truly hope that is false, knowing that Wikipedia can very often be wrong.
I also played basketball at OJC from 1969-1971. Weren’t you friends with Ronnie Talbert and went to Lyman HS with him. I played both years but more my second year.
I remember when I first got there I asked, Where are the Black players and was told they weren’t allowed to go to OJC. It was weird that OJC wouldn’t admit Blacks but I know there were some students enrolled from the Middle East. As far as not allowing Jewish students, that’s not true. I briefly dated a Jewish student while I was there. I was from Indiana and didn’t experience racism until I came to Florida. Crazy times. I also remember seeing a “whites only bathroom” in Eustis in 1969.
Greetings Paul! Thank you for sharing your memories of Orlando Junior College. The late 1960s were certainly a time of upheaval in the U.S. and in Florida that led to important changes in our schools, government, and communities. We hope you will continue to share your memories with us all. THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
Greetings Paul! Thank you for visiting the Orlando Junior College post on Orlando Memory. The 1960s were certainly a period of change for the good in the United States and here in Florida. We hope you continue to share your memories with us all! THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
Greetings Mr. Butterworth! Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory. We do not have any additional documents on the basketball team, however, if the team was featured in the Orlando Sentinel in 1969/1970, you may be able to find the article in our microfilm at the Orlando Public Library. As for your second question, the school was chartered during the time when most schools and libraries were segregated, so perhaps this is the basis for the statement you found online. We hope you will find other posts on Orlando Memory that bring back memories of days gone by and continue to share your thoughts with us. THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
Thank you OJC. Does anyone remember Dr. Watson, English Professor? If not for him, I would not have continued my education.
Greetings Joseph! Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory. We hope someone remembers Dr. Watson and we hope you will find additional posts of interest and continue to share you memories with us all! THE ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
OJC was salvific for me. After 4 years of austere military school I attended Stetson University (with the full intent of making up for “lost time” by none stop partying). After two semesters I flunked out. OJC gave me not only a chance but also excellent professors. In 2 years I was accepted at UWF and went on to get a BA & two year later an MA in Psychology ~ a career in which I excelled for 24 years. Thank you OJC for being the patient & wise mentor I needed!
My grades were not up to par after high school or even for OJC. I had to take summer courses before being accepted in 1963. After one year at OJC I was accepted to FSU and graduated with a 3.1 GPA as a business major. If it wasn’t for OJC giving me a chance to prove myself (I didn’t apply myself in school), I never would have had the successful career I had. Thank God for all the schools like them that are willing to give students another chance. I will be forever thankful.
Greetings Richard! Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing your wonderful experience with the Orlando Junior College. We hope you will continue to visit and share your Orlando memories with everyone! ORLANDO MEMORY TEAM
I am writing a biography of John McClain who taught at OJC for many years and continued to teach when Lake Highland Preparatory School was formed. If you could provide any information on John McClain while he was with OJC and Lake Highland Prep, I would certainly appreciate this. John worked their from 1957 to 1988, when he died. Thank you for your attention to this request.
Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing the information about teacher John McClain. Unfortunately, we do not have any information about his time teaching at Orlando Junior College or Lake Highland Preparatory School. You may wish to contact Lake Highland Preparatory School, as they may have yearbooks that could contain some information. His obituary was published in the Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 27, 1988, p. B4, and you can search for records at the Orange County Comptroller’s site https://occompt.com/official-records/. We wish you luck in your search for information on Mr. McClain.
Funny thing … I am traveling to Winter Park to visit family this week and, out of curiosity, googled Orlando Junior College. I knew it had closed but did not know of the outcome of the property. I was attending U of F when my brother died from injuries during the Vietnam War. I had difficulty processing his death and dropped out of U of F. I enrolled in OJC the following Fall; graduated after transferring my credits and returned to U of F to finish my architectural degree. I have many fond memories of the college and appreciated the slower pace of the campus. I was totally surprised to read here that the campus became Lake Highland Prep School. What a delight!
Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing your memories about Orlando Junior College. We are sorry for the loss of your brother in Vietnam. It was a very difficult time for many families. We are happy though, that the post brought back fond memories of the college so many years ago. We hope you will find other posts on Orlando Memory and share your thoughts.
I attended OJC from 1965-1967 when my family moved to Orlando for work at the Martin plant. I enjoyed the relaxed campus, the modern student center, and the enthusiasm of the instructors. Surprisingly, many students were from the Northeast, trying to improve grades to transfer to UF in Gainesville. This was a time before Disney when orange groves were scattered throughout the area, filling the December air with orange blossom fragrance. I worked summer jobs on the roofing crew for the Orange County School System. Part-time jobs were very scarce for students, but you could get on the waiting list for part-time graveyard shift work at the Orlando Sentinel, stuffing advertising into newspapers as they came off the press, and then bundling and loading them onto delivery trucks. After graduating in 1967 I moved to Los Angeles to complete college, where I have been ever since.
Mack, thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing your memories of Orlando and Orlando Junior College! The fragrance of citrus blossoms is one of my favorite memories of Central Florida. It was amazing to drive for miles with orange and grapefruit trees in bloom on both sides of the highway. We hope you will peruse Orlando Memory for other topics, especially the posts on Martin Marietta, and share more memories with us.
Thank you again for taking the time to add your memories to OrlandoMemory.info!
I believe that my mother Lorraine St John was assistant to OJC President John Shank from 1946 until my birth in 1954. Can anyone confirm?
Shannon, thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing the information about your mother, Lorraine. We found the following information in the Orlando city directories:
1947-1948 – no listing for Lorraine’s employment
1949-1950 – office secretary at Orlando Junior College
1951 – business manager at Orlando Junior College
1952 – bursar at Orlando Junior College
1954 – business manager at Orlando Junior College
1955 – no employment listed
The directories typically reported data collected the previous year, and your mother may have started working for the college after the data was collected the year she started. The directories often contain errors, as well.
John Cummer, my uncle, was President of Orlando Junior College for a while, and after my father died my mother, brother, and I lived with Uncle John and his family for several months.
John, Thank you for visiting Orlando Memory and sharing your memories about your Uncle John and Orlando Junior College. If you have any photos you would like us to add to the post, please contact us. Thanks again!
I taught Western Civilization at OJC from 1966 to 1968. We had a good faculty and hard-working students. It was a wonderful teaching experience. When Valencia opened in 1968, OJC could not compete as OJC charged three times as much tuition as Valencia. The end came quickly.
I graduated from OJC in 1967. It was an excellent college with a great reputation. It was a private jr. college and very expensive as a j.c. Unfortunately, FTU started in Orlando along with Valencia, and that was the demise of a great local institution. When I enrolled at USF, a professor there told me OJC students were always well-prepared and successful at universities. The campus was beautiful and so was my experience there.
Do you remember a young man who I believe worked in the Business Management Office and ran the Bookstore. His name was Larry Green.
I remember Larry very well. A wonderful young man.