Hostos Community College was created by an act of the Board of Higher Education on April 22, 1968, in response to the demands of Puerto Rican and other Hispanic leaders who urged the establishment of a college to meet the needs of the South Bronx. In September 1970, Hostos admitted a charter class of 623 students at the site of a former tire factory at 475 Grand Concourse. Enrollment grew rapidly to more than 2,000 students by June of 1974. The College takes pride in its historical role in educating students from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, particularly Hispanics and African Americans.
