An overview is provided of the conditions and forces which underpinned the creation of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). Chapter 1 looks at major developments in the two-year college field related to the formation of the ACCT, including information on alternative organizations available to two-year college trustees, differences between four-year and two-year college boards, and the disparate backgrounds of community college trustees. Chapter 2 provides background information on the rise, purposes, and mission of the modern two-year college. After chapter 3 contrasts the current functions and roles of trustees with earlier perceptions of what boards should do, chapter 4 examines the personal characteristics of trustees and the organizational characteristics of boards, summarizes differences between elected and appointed members of boards, and reviews findings of a study of the perspectives, satisfactions, and frustrations of board members. Chapter 5 traces the interest of community college trustees in seeking affiliation with a national association, describing their early affiliation with and later separation from the National School Board Association and the foundation of the ACCT. Chapters 6 and 7 cover the history of the ACCT from its creation in 1972 through its first decade, highlighting the activities and services of the association and evidence of its maturation as an organization. Appendices include a bibliography and chronology of key events in the history of ACCT. (LAL)