The Victoria College, 1925-2000: A Tradition of Excellence

CHAPTER 6
BINGDOM
When Dr. Roland E. Bing assumed the presidency of Victoria College on July 1, 1975, the conversion
of the old Library Building into an administration complex, which began before J. D. Moore
retired, was yet to be completed. It was not until October that the structure was sufficiently remodeled
and furnished. Meanwhile, Bing moved from the dean’s office in the Administration Building
into the existing presidential space across the hall and remained there until his new quarters on the
second floor of the renovated structure became available.
When the trustees met in September 1975 in the newly finished boardroom on the second floor
of the old Library Building, the board members voted to rename the old Administration Building
the Academic Building. Furthermore, they designated the old Library Building as the
Administration Building. It was at their meeting that Bing presented his first report to the board as
president. Being a strong advocate of allied health education, he used the opportunity to provide an
assessment of the nursing program. Assisting him in this endeavor were Ruth Constant, director of
Associate Degree Nursing, and Mary Ann Wright, director of Vocational Nursing. Constant pointed
out that the new two-year nursing program had received accreditation, and its inaugural classes
were filled to capacity. She remarked that a total of forty students were enrolled and the average
composite on the American College Test scores was 20.5 out of a possible 36. Wright provided a
similarly upbeat report on the one-year vocational nursing program. She stated that about 75 percent
of the nurses in the Victoria hospitals were graduates of the college. Wright emphasized the
importance of the training of nurses for the community when she said, “we have calls from doctors
at graduation time every year wanting our nurses.” 1
The appearance of Constant and Wright before the board signaled that the meetings were going
to be different under Bing. When Moore was president, very few faculty members or students ever
attended a board meeting. It was not that they were discouraged from doing so, but the atmosphere
seemed uncomfortable. Bing, on the other hand, regularly asked individuals within the college community
to give reports. During the first year of Bing’s presidency, Student Council president Debbie
Spurlin made a presentation on the activities of student organizations, and Carl DuBose, Evening
School director, commented on vocational courses. As the years passed, students and members of
the faculty, either cheering the college or complaining about a problem, were presented to the board
by Bing.
A Constitutional Review Forum entitled “Community Forum: A New Constitution for Texas?” was
conducted in the Fine Arts Auditorium on October 13, 1975. In 1974, the state legislature had met
as a constitutional convention and failed to approve a new state constitution. At the following legislative
session in 1975 the legislators resolved to place before the voters a proposed constitution in
the form of eight propositions. If approved by the electorate, each proposition in the form of an
amendment would replace an existing feature of the constitution. State officials made numerous presentations
throughout Texas on behalf of constitutional reform. Included on the forum panel at the
college were Speaker of the House of Representatives Bill Clayton, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Texas Joe R. Greenhill, state representative Joe Wyatt, Jr., and state representative Tim Von Dohlen.
On November 4, the voters had their say on the matter and by landslide proportions defeated the
propositions; only 4 of 254 counties accepted the items. 2
On February 6, 1976, the first graduation ceremony was held for students who completed course
work in the college’s emergency medical services program. Carl DuBose, director of the Evening
School, remarked the program was established to prepare unemployed low income individuals to
find jobs. 3
Two faculty members became presidents of their respective professional organizations in the
spring of 1976. Robert Meeks, geology instructor, was elected head of the Texas Division of the
✯
Dr. Roland E. Bing was president of
Victoria College from 1975 to 1989.
Bingdom ✦ 145