Shelton State Community College Shelton State Community College is a two - year community college located in Tuscaloosa , Alabama . Operated by the Alabama State Department of Postsecondary Education , Shelton is one of the largest two - year colleges in the state . Approximately 7 , 000 students are enrolled in some form of coursework , including around 3 , 000 full - time students . The college is currently in good standing with its regional accrediting body SACSCOC . Shelton State is also designated as the Alabama Junior College of the Fine Arts by the state legislature . The Alabama Stage and Screen Hall of Fame is located here , and Theatre Tuscaloosa is based in the Bean Browne Theatre at Shelton . The Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission is also located on the Martin campus of Shelton State . The Fire College is responsible for training paid and volunteer fire fighters and EMTs throughout the state . History . The Tuscaloosa Trade School was created by the Alabama State Board of Education in 1950 and opened for classes in 1952 . Its campus was located southeast of downtown , near what is now the intersection of 15th Street / Veterans Memorial Drive and McFarland Boulevard . In 1954 , the school was renamed J . P . Shelton Trade School in honor of one of the state legislature who lobbied for the opening of the trade school in Tuscaloosa . In 1976 , the school ' s name was changed to Shelton State Technical College . In 1975 , Brewer State Junior College ( now Bevill State Community College ) opened a branch campus in Tuscaloosa in an old elementary school building near the intersection of 28th Street and Greensboro Avenue . At the time of its opening , it had three full - time faculty and 800 students . In 1977 , Brewer State moved to a renovated strip mall on Skyland Boulevard . Shelton State Community College was established on January 1 , 1979 , by the state Board of Education by combining Shelton State and the Tuscaloosa branch of Brewer State . The two campuses remained separate , with the 15th Street campus acting as the vocational and technical campus and the Skyland Boulevard campus serving as the junior college campus . Tuscaloosa State Trade School was created by the state legislature in 1963 . In 1974 , the institution became Tuscaloosa State Technical College and was authorized by the Alabama State Board of Education to grant associate degrees . In 1976 , the college name was changed to C . A . Fredd State Technical College to honor the first president of the institution . In 1994 , Fredd State merged with Shelton State . The new institution retained the name of Shelton State Community College , and the president of Shelton State was named president of the consolidated institution . Around this time , Shelton broke ground on a new campus on Alabama Highway 69 in the growing Taylorville suburb of Tuscaloosa . The new campus - named Martin campus - opened in 1997 - 98 and consolidated the 15th Street and Skyland Boulevard campuses into one . The Fredd campus remained on MLK Boulevard but was renovated extensively to match the architecture of Martin campus . Campus . Shelton State has two campuses : Martin Campus off Alabama Highway 69 south of Tuscaloosa in the unincorporated suburb of Taylorville , and C . A . Fredd campus on Martin Luther King , Jr . , Boulevard in west Tuscaloosa . Shelton is considered a historically black college by virtue of its being the consolidated daughter institution of the former C . A . Fredd State Technical College . Student life . Athletics . Shelton State fields six varsity sports teams in the Alabama Community College Conference ( ACCC ) in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association ( NJCAA ) . Two of the sports are women ' s ( Softball and basketball ) , two are men ' s ( baseball and basketball ) , and one is coed ( cheerleading ) . Shelton State ' s sports teams are called the Buccaneers and their colors are gold and emerald .