{{Short description|Community college in Santa Ana, California, US}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox university | name = Santa Ana College |other_name = SAC | image = Santa Ana College logo.svg |motto = ''Celebrated Past. Boundless Future.'' |established = 1915 |type = Public community college |staff = |faculty = |president = Annebelle Nery<ref>{{cite web |title=President's Office |url=https://www.sac.edu/President/pages/default.aspx |website=sac.edu |access-date=15 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> |vice president = |provost = |principal = |rector = |chancellor = |vice_chancellor = |dean = |head_label = |head = |students = 37,916 (fall 2015)<ref>{{cite web|title=Enrollment Status Summary Report - Parameter Selection Area|url=http://datamart.cccco.edu/Students/Enrollment_Status.aspx|publisher=datamart.cccco.edu|access-date=18 June 2016|archive-date=31 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231134920/http://datamart.cccco.edu/Students/Enrollment_Status.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> |undergrad = |part time = |doctoral = |profess = |city = Santa Ana |state = California |country = United States |campus = Suburban, {{convert|48|acres|ha}} |free_label = |free_text = |colors = {{colorbox|#E31837}} {{colorbox|#000000}} Red and black |mascot = |nickname = Dons |affiliations = Rancho Santiago Community College District, California Community Colleges |coordinates = {{coord|33.7596|-117.8875}} |website = {{URL|www.sac.edu}} }}
'''Santa Ana College''' is a public community college in Santa Ana, California, United States.
==History== In 1915, '''Santa Ana Junior College''' opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange County, behind Fullerton College, and the fourth oldest in all of California.
In 1932, a charter of Gamma Sigma Fraternity International was granted. Beta Alpha Chapter was at the school from 1932 to 1938, but anti-fraternity agitation and lack of communication with the organization in the east made the chapter dormant by 1938.
The 1933 Long Beach earthquake damaged the Santa Ana High School building, prompting the campus move to North Main Street where it remained until 1947.
A bond issue passed in 1945, paving the way for development of a 48-acre (194,000 m<sup>2</sup>) campus at its current location.
Santa Ana College plays host to Middle College High School, a small alternative high school in the Santa Ana Unified School District in which students can earn their Associate of Arts degree at the same time as their high school diploma.
In the late 1970s the college purchased the properties on Martha Lane south of the original campus and that land is now part of the parking lot. Recent years have witnessed the further development of and annexation of adjacent property to the original location.
For a short time, the college was known as '''Rancho Santiago College''', but the name changed back to Santa Ana College in the late 1990s.
In 1985, a satellite campus, which is now called Santiago Canyon College, was established in Orange, California. Santiago Canyon has since grown in size to become a separate college from Santa Ana College, although both colleges are part of the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
==Academics== The college has various programs lead to the awarding of associate degrees in arts and sciences, as well as vocational certificates.
Santa Ana College is home to the Tessmann Planetarium, which was renovated and now has a state-of-the art planetarium system. It is the largest, both in diameter (30 ft) and seating capacity planetarium in Orange County. It was completed and became operational in 1967.
The college is also home to ''Around and About Orange County News'' and ''Noticiero Latino del Condado de Orange'' (''NLCO''), student-produced weekly news shows. ''NLCO'' was the first Spanish language college newscast produced by a community college.
The TV Department uses the college's Digital Media Center to produce, shoot, and edit the college's newscast.
The Journalism & Media Studies Department writes, edits, and publishes the college's nationally recognized online and printed newspaper, ''el Don''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About el Don |url=https://eldonnews.org/about/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=el Don News |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Athletics== Santa Ana College sponsors 18 sports programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacdons.com/landing/index|title=Santa Ana College Dons|publisher=sacdons.com|access-date=2018-01-25}}</ref> Men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming, track and field, water polo and wrestling. Women's sports are basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, track and field, volleyball and water polo.
==Notable alumni== {{See also|Category:Santa Ana College alumni}} * Duane Allen, NFL player<ref>{{cite web|title=Duane Allen Duane Allen Football, Class of 2003|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/allen|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> * Barry Asher, Hall of Fame bowler * Heath Bell, retired MLB All-Star pitcher<ref>{{cite web|title=Heath Bell |url=http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/bellhe01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213193326/http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/bellhe01 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 December 2011 |publisher=www.thebaseballpage.com |access-date=18 June 2016 }}</ref> * Bob Boyd, Basketball coach<ref>{{cite web|title=Bob Boyd|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/boyd|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> * George Brancato, NFL player and CFL All-star<ref>{{cite web|title=George Brancato |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BRANCGEO01 |publisher=www.databasefootball.com |access-date=18 June 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411200640/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BRANCGEO01 |archive-date=11 April 2016 }}</ref> * Lem Burnham, NFL player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/burn02000.html |title=LEM BURNHAM |publisher=profootballarchives.com |access-date=July 20, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909021924/http://www.profootballarchives.com/burn02000.html |archive-date=September 9, 2015 }}</ref> * Al Carmichael, NFL player<ref>{{cite web|title=Al Carmichael Al Carmichael Track & Field, Class of 2003|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/carmichael|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> * Ed Caruthers, high jump Olympian<ref>{{cite web|title=Ed Caruthers Ed Caruthers Track & Field, Class of 2003|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/caruthers|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> * Nancy Fuller, host of Food Network's ''Farmhouse Rules''<ref name="chathamcourier">{{cite web|url=http://www.registerstar.com/chatham_courier/news/article_7b54bc3c-4c83-11e3-a0fb-0019bb2963f4.html|title=Ginsberg's owner brings her 'Farmhouse Rules' to Food Network - Columbia-Greene Media: News|work=Chatham Courier|last=Clayton|first=Adam|date=November 13, 2013|access-date=May 13, 2014}}</ref> * Robert David Hall, actor on the television series ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sac.edu/community/foundation/alumni/hallsoffame/inductees/RobertDavidHall.htm|title=Robert David Hall|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * Bob Hamelin, MLB player<ref>{{cite web|title=Bob Hamelin, Baseball, Class of 2003|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/hamelin|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> * Diane Keaton, Academy Award-winning actress<ref name="oc"/> * Khan Malaythong, Olympic badminton player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=853/bio/index.html |title=2008 Beijing Summer Olympics | Bob Malaythong Profile & Bio, Photos & Videos | NBC Olympics |access-date=2013-02-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091103051804/http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete%3D853/bio/index.html |archive-date=2009-11-03 }}</ref> * Cathy Marino, Team USA Kayak in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics<ref name="State University">{{cite web|title=Santa Ana College|url=https://www.stateuniversity.com/universities/CA/Santa_Ana_College.html|publisher=www.stateuniversity.com|access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/cathy-marino-geers-1.html|title=Cathy Marino-Geers Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|date=Apr 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418100451/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/cathy-marino-geers-1.html|access-date=Dec 4, 2020|archive-date=2020-04-18}}</ref> * Yael Markovich, Israeli/American model and beauty queen/pageant titleholder (Miss Israel) * Steve Martin, Emmy- and Grammy-winning actor<ref name="oc">[https://books.google.com/books?id=kf0DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Steve+Martin+Santa+Ana+College&pg=PA57 journal] Orange Coast Magazine December 2001</ref> * Kris Medlen, former MLB pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks<ref>{{cite web|title=Kris Medlen, Kristopher Allen Medlen|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/medlekr01.shtml|publisher=www.baseball-reference.com|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> * Dan Meyer, MLB player<ref>{{cite web|title=Dan Meyer, Daniel Thomas Meyer|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/meyerda01.shtml|publisher=www.baseball-reference.com|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> * Louie Olivos Jr., actor, promoter, producer, director and playwright * Rick Ownbey, MLB player<ref>{{cite web|title=Rick Ownbey, Richard Wayne Ownbey|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ownberi01.shtml|publisher=www.baseball-reference.com|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> * Kasey Peters, American football player * John Pitts, NFL player<ref>{{cite web|title=John Pitts, Football, Class of 2006|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/pitts|publisher=www.sacdons.com|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> * Jim Steffen, NFL player<ref>{{cite web|title=Jim Steffen |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=STEFFJIM01 |publisher=www.databasefootball.com |access-date=14 July 2016 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412020318/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=STEFFJIM01 |archive-date=12 April 2016 }}</ref> * Larry Stuart, world record setting javelin thrower * Joe Taufeteʻe, rugby player * Bill Thomas, member of the United States House of Representatives<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=T000188|title=Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details|website=bioguideretro.congress.gov|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * Gaddi Vasquez, United States ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/73242.htm|title=Vasquez, Gaddi H.|website=2001-2009.state.gov|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> director of the Peace Corps * Jose Vasquez, professional soccer player<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/vasquez|title=Jose Vasquez|website=Santa Ana|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * Bob Webster, diving champion, won gold medals at both the 1960 and 1964 Olympic games<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/webster|title=Bob Webster|website=Santa Ana|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * Ray Willsey, football coach<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.sacdons.com/hof/members/members/willsey|title=Ray Willsey|website=Santa Ana|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * CJ Wilson, Class of 1998, baseball player, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilsocj01.shtml|title=C.J. Wilson Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=Dec 4, 2020}}</ref> * Tony Zendejas, former NFL kicker
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.sac.edu/}}
{{Santa Ana, California}} {{Colleges and universities in Orange County|state=show}} {{California Community College System}}
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Category:Santa Ana College Category:California Community Colleges Category:Education in Santa Ana, California Category:Universities and colleges in Orange County, California Category:Universities and colleges established in 1915 Category:1915 establishments in California Category:Two-year colleges in the United States