History
Harriet I. Perry founded J.M. Perry Institute of Trade, Industry and Agriculture in 1939 as a lasting memorial to her late husband, Yakima business pioneer John M. Perry. In 1986, the school changed its name to Perry Technical Institute.
The school is housed at its original location, on approximately 40 acres of land on the southwest edge of Yakima, across the street from the Yakima Air Terminal. The main building has been completely renovated and several buildings have been added to house expanding programs.
The most recent project, completed in 2009, was the renovation of the hangar building on the west end of campus. The building was originally built as an airplane hangar and was used to train aircraft mechanics during World War II. The large, open spaces of the hangar made it an impractical setting for instruction. The building was gutted and completely renovated. In July 2009, it was dedicated as the Eugene Shields Technical Training Center. This state-of-the-art facility houses the HVAC/R and the Office Administration programs.
Over the years, we have grown and adapted our programs to meet the changing needs of industry. However, the school’s mission has remained constant. Perry Technical Institute is dedicated to providing industry with well-trained people who are motivated to work as team members to meet the needs of industry in our rapidly evolving technological world.