About Us
Valley Street
Valley Street Campus Map
Gadsden State’s Valley Street Campus is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and personal growth. With a proud legacy as an HBCU, the campus continues to serve as a hub for opportunity and student success—offering programs that prepare graduates to thrive in today’s workforce and beyond.
The Valley Street Campus is designated a historically black college or university and is a Title III grant recipient.
Valley Street has a long and storied history in Etowah County. It opened its doors in 1960 as the Gadsden Vocational Trade School, a private vocational training school for African Americans. It was founded by Eugene N. Prater, director of the Veterans Continuation Program for Negroes, in response to discontent expressed by black veterans of Etowah County for being denied admission to the all-white Alabama School of Trades.
In 1972, the school was renamed Gadsden State Technical Institute. In 1985, Alabama Technical College, Gadsden State Technical Institute, and Gadsden State Junior College merged, becoming Gadsden State Community College. The campus was renamed the Valley Street Campus.
In October 1997, the campus was designated as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) by the U.S. Department of Education. The following year, the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III Program began on the Valley Street Campus.
In November 2024, the Eugene N. Prater Administration Building was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage by the Alabama Historical Commission.
Eugene Ned Prater at the Valley Street Campus monument dedication in 2008.
Martin Luther King III speaks at the ceremony designating the Valley Street Campus as an HBCU
Eugene Ned Prater speaks during the ceremony attended by state and local government officials and community leaders.
Currently, the Valley Street Campus houses the following:
Various academic courses
The mission of the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Title III Program is to enhance the academic programs, fiscal management, and physical resources of the Valley Street Campus. Activities and services provided by the program address the enhancement of student support services, the integration of technology into curricula and instruction, and the improvement of physical facilities. Goals include increased student enrollment and retention, the achievement of students' educational goals, and expanded capabilities of information technology for students and faculty.
Title III Grant Administration Office
Tarva Vaughn
Title III Director
256-549-8674
tvaughn@gadsdenstate.edu
Ariel McElwee
Instructional Technology Advisor
256-549-8681
amcelwee@gadsdenstate.edu
Keana Howze
Title III Program Advisor
256-549-8670
khowze@gadsdenstate.edu
Craig Carter
Computer Technician
256-549-8683
ccarter@gadsdenstate.edu
Donna Adams
Clerk II
256-549-8667
dadams@gadsdenstate.edu
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Institutional Scholarships
Valley Street Campus HBCU Administration Office
Ricky Tillis
Campus Director
256-549-8678
rtillis@gadsdenstate.edu
Lindy Austin
HBCU Administration Clerk
256-549-8673
To schedule a tour of the Valley Street Campus, please email HBCU@gadsdenstate.edu
