Our education center was built by the late Jim Irwin, a legendary teacher, author, and educator who was the founding president and chancellor of the Fort Irwin Unified School District. Jim was a pioneer in education and a true visionary who transformed the district into the successful and diverse place it is today.
The fort is located on the outskirts of Fort Irwin, a small town with an estimated population of about 100 people. A lot of people have never seen this place before. It’s been a wonderful place to live. With a history of its own, it was a good place to begin to learn about Fort Irwin’s history.
The district was created in 1941 as the result of a reorganization of the Fort Irwin military base. It was originally called the Fort Irwin and Marine Corps Training Center, and had the distinction of being the first state-funded school in the United States. As the number of schools skyrocketed, the military left and the district became a part of the U.S. Army School of the Americas in 1961.