[4] In the years following World War II, North Carolina began a rapid shift from an agricultural to an industrial economy.

In 1950, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction authorized a study of the need for a system of tax-supported community colleges.

Commonly referred to as the "Carlyle Commission", the body produced a set of proposals in August 1962 aimed at increasing college enrollment in North Carolina.

In May 1963, the General Assembly responded by creating a Department of Community Colleges under the State Board of Education.

In the early years of the system, the State Board of Education chairperson was Dallas Herring; David Bruton succeeded him in 1977.

The current board chair is Breeden Blackwell of Fayetteville, a retired school principal and elected city and county official.

In 1988, the North Carolina Community College System celebrated its 25th anniversary, recognizing that in its first quarter century of service, the system had emerged as the nation's third-largest community college network, educating millions of students during its 32-year history and employing thousands of faculty and staff.

[3] As of 2024, the North Carolina Community College System has had 11 presidents,[3] originally called directors of the Department of Community Colleges:[citation needed] (Counties) Madison Hyde Tyrell Washington Transylvania Watauga Pender Catawba Harnett Lee Chowan Currituck Dare Gates Pasquotank Perquimans Davie Orange Stokes Lincoln Northampton Rutherford Jones Lenoir Martin Mitchell Yancey Person Scotland Hertford Northampton Rowan Moore Union Macon Swain Yadkin Clay Graham Granville Vance Warren Ashe Wilkes