Asheville–Buncombe Technical Community College was originally funded by a bond election, the institution was established on April 3, 1958 and began serving students September 1, 1959 as the Asheville-Buncombe Industrial Education Center. Following legislation creating the North Carolina System of Community Colleges, that was enacted in 1963 by the General Assembly, the name was changed on January 9, 1964 to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute. This legislation enabled the College to confer the Associate in Applied Science degree for the first time at graduation ceremonies in August 1964.
