Texarkana College Celebrates Nursing Milestone and Student Success
Texarkana College's Vocational Nursing Program marks 70 years in 2026, and its August graduates posted a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the NCLEX-PN. The college has served more than 10,000 students across credit and noncredit programs since January.
Vocational Nursing Program marks 70 years as college serves more than 10,000 students across credit and noncredit programs
TEXARKANA, Texas – For 70 years, Texarkana College’s Vocational Nursing Program has prepared students to enter the nursing profession. Established in 1956, the program marks its 70th anniversary in 2026, celebrating a longstanding commitment to nursing education and the region’s health care workforce.
The August 2026 Vocational Nursing graduates achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses, or NCLEX-PN. Official pass-rate data from the Texas Board of Nursing are expected to be published in April 2027.
A nursing school born from a lawsuit.
The vocational program that opened in 1956 was the college’s first nursing track. Three years later a second program, for registered nurses, arrived with a far stranger backstory. Lumber and railroad baron William Buchanan signed a $1 million charitable trust on Oct. 9, 1923, to be administered in Bowie County, with a children’s hospital in mind. He died 17 days later.
No hospital was built. By 1950 the trustees had spent about $29,000 locally while the fund grew past $2.6 million, and they pledged $500,000 for a children’s pavilion at the new University of Arkansas hospital in Little Rock. Texas Attorney General John Ben Shepperd sued in Bowie County to stop the money from leaving. Arkansas then sued Texas directly in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 for Arkansas in November 1953. Justice Robert Jackson dissented: “Of course Arkansas will get justice in Texas.”
The Texarkana Court of Civil Appeals blocked the gift in 1955, finding the trustees had “no intention” of building anything in Bowie County. The Texas Supreme Court sent the case back on a settlement in April 1956. The terms were never published, but the results were. Little Rock got the William Buchanan Pavilion for Children. Texarkana got a nursing school.
The Buchanan Foundation School of Nursing opened at Texarkana College in the fall of 1959 with 26 students, awarding a diploma and an associate degree. The college says it was the first associate-degree nursing program at a Texas junior college. On Oct. 25, 1967, the college dedicated the debt-free William Buchanan Nursing Building, paid for by the Foundation and the Texas Education Agency. The dedication speaker was Dr. Storm Whaley of the University of Arkansas medical center, the other side of the lawsuit.
“Seven decades on, the program’s graduates are still passing their boards. “Seventy years of vocational nursing education represents a tremendous legacy of preparing students for an essential profession,” said Courtney Shoalmire, dean of health sciences at Texarkana College. “We are proud of our graduates’ achievement and remain committed to preparing knowledgeable, skilled nursing professionals who are ready to care for patients and serve our communities.”
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Nursing students give back
Texarkana College nursing students are also sharing their knowledge through health education activities for fellow students and community members.
This fall, 21 students from the Associate Degree Nursing program’s transition cohort will be inducted into the Alpha Delta Nu Nursing Honor Society, the largest group inducted at the college. The students will lead campus educational activities on hydration and managing anxiety, while other nursing students will provide instruction on infection control and wound care at the Randy Sams Outreach Shelter on Nov. 23.
More than 10,000 students served
The impact of Texarkana College extends beyond traditional college degree programs. Enrollment data presented by the Office of Instruction show that the college has served 10,413 students across credit and noncredit programs since January 2026.
Of that total, 7,088 students enrolled in credit programs, while another 3,325 participated in noncredit offerings, including workforce and contract training, health-related certifications, credential preparation and personal enrichment.
“These numbers reflect the many ways Texarkana College serves our region. Some students come to earn a degree, while others need a specific skill, a professional certification or training to advance in their careers,” said Dr. Dixon Boyles, vice president of instruction at Texarkana College. “Our responsibility is to provide educational opportunities that meet those varied needs and help individuals succeed, while supporting the skilled workforce our regional employers depend on.”
By providing educational pathways for students with different goals, Texarkana College helps individuals prepare for employment, advance their careers and continue learning throughout their lives. These opportunities also support regional economic development by helping build the skilled workforce employers need to grow existing businesses and attract new investment.
From preparing the next generation of nurses to providing educational opportunities across a wide range of fields, Texarkana College continues to invest in student success and the future of the region.