ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the different generations of new community college leaders’ characterizations and examines the changing context of the leadership position’s purpose. The first Generation of new community college presidents were White married men in their 50s. Some of these presidents had military experience that included service in Second World War and the Korean War. The Second Generation of community college presidents was also White men who were married. These presidents experienced the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the women’s rights movement. Sullivan labeled the third generation of community college presidents as the collaborators. Most of these leaders came from middle-class families that instilled the value of education as a means of moving upward in society, which in turn shaped their professional lives. The fourth Generation of community college presidents marked a shift in how leadership was conceived. It is called Preparation Generation that helped to build what Boggs and McPhail call the Contemporary Community College.
