Douglas Education Center

Snuggled in the sweet little hamlet of Monessen, PA sits a sleeping giant of a school. Visit us at www.dec.edu.

• Trade School

From its earliest days, this institution has strived to provide the skills and education necessary for its graduates to be a successful part of an ever expanding job market.

The history of Douglas Education Center (DEC) began back in 1904 when founder Warren Douglas decided to open a business and secretarial school in Charleroi, PA. It operated under the name Douglas Business College for the next 44 years until the state mandated the college to rename itself Douglas School of Business (DSB) in 1948.

In 1957, Douglas School of Business moved from Charleroi to the neighboring city of Monessen. When a devastating fire in the late 1960’s destroyed the school’s building, a new location had to be sought out. In 1970, DSB took up residence in the Gemmill Building in Monessen, just a few blocks from its previous location. That building has remained a part of the Douglas campus ever since and now serves as the main administration building.

Since its inception, the school has seen multiple changes to its curricula. Douglas at one time offered a sixteen month Associates’ in Specialized Business Degree in Business Administration and Executive Secretary. However, as job markets and employer needs changed it became clear that Douglas had to expand its offerings. In 1992, the first time a degree program outside of the business and secretarial field was offered. It was decided, with input and assistance from Mon Valley Hospital, that a medical assistant program would be a welcome addition to the curricula and that program has been a part of Douglas ever since.

In 1998, it had become clear that Douglas School of Business had to find yet another niche outside of its current offerings in order to diversify itself from its competitors in the surrounding areas. DSB made a commitment to redefine and expand its market by implementing a more specialized curriculum that focused largely in the arts fields. DSB’s first art related program was added in 1999. The program was named the Graphic Communications/Visual Design and Animated FX program. It has since been renamed the Graphic Design and Web program.

The expansion into the arts continued in 2000 when Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects program was introduced. Now in its 16th year, this program has become known as a “destination” program and has graduated students from all 50 states. It has also attracted international students from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, and Serbia just to name a few.
Since the name Douglas School of Business seemed to no longer fit the direction that the school was going, it was decided in 2001 to change its name to its current namesake Douglas Education Center (DEC) to further enhance its identity and image.

Allan and Wilson’s Digital Illustration program was the next art related program to come to DEC. It was introduced in 2002.

In 2003, DEC decided to look beyond the arts and opened the doors to The Cosmetology Academy. These program offerings were designed to give students a well-rounded education in the fields of General Cosmetology, Esthetics, Esthetician and Nail Technology, and Cosmetology Teacher/Saloon Management.

The final wave of art programs was added in 2008 when DEC introduced Dorian’s Fantasy Art Program and The Factory Digital Filmmaking Program. It was announced in the summer of 2016 that George A. Romero would become the signator for the re-branding of the Filmmaking program. DEC hopes that George A. Romero’s Filmmaking Program will also become a destination program.
DEC also expanded into the area of skilled trades in 2013 with the addition of its training programs for those seeking a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) or training in Natural Gas Extraction. The offerings of the Natural Gas Extraction program expand in 2016 to included training in heavy equipment and safety.

Today, what started out as a business and secretarial school housed in one building grew exponentially and now DEC spans eight city blocks. Today, over 113 years after its inception, Douglas Education Center continues to break new ground in academic achievement, staying true to its mission by providing a quality education to those who wish to follow their dreams.