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

wing that was designed for associate degree and
vocational nursing programs, emergency medical
training, and the Police Academy. Bing
remarked that the addition was necessary
because “Medical science is moving so fast that
we have to plan ahead to keep in step.” 71
In 1985, Victoria Mayor Ted Reed declared
February 17-23 as Victoria College Week. The
five fun-filled days included basketball and
table tennis tournaments; a performance by the
Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria
Choir; a “chalk in” for students; displays in the
Student Union; and literary, photographic, and
art contests. Among the winners were Diane
Bush, painting; Pat Soward, drawing; David
Locher, three-dimensional; Lori Immenhauser,
best overall photography; Carol Tippins for her
essay “Down at the Dump;” and Mia Jones for
her poem “Butterflies.” 72
On May 30, 1985, exhausted and weary from
lack of sleep after a two-week excursion to
China, the Victoria College-University of
Houston-Victoria Choir was thrilled to be home.
The tour which included performances in
Beijing, Hong Kong, and Honolulu, produced
life-long memories and opportunities to experience
cultural diversity. Melissa Thiele found
“adjusting to the food was difficult because it
was so unusual.” She remarked, “One time
everyone decided to try something, and it turned
out to be jellyfish tentacles.” Although the choir
members were apprehensive over how they
would be received in China, the entourage discovered
the people were exceedingly friendly.
When the Victorians sang the Chinese national
anthem, which they learned phonetically, the
audience untraditionally “stood up through
theirs, and then through ours.” Roel Padilla commented
that the Chinese “went crazy for the
‘chicken’”. . .and “tried dancing to ‘Cotton Eyed
Joe,’ and they even picked up the schottische
pretty fast.” Billie North, Victoria College information
officer, noted, “We gave a good impression
of the American people, and Victoria. We
did a good job of creating good will.” 73
During the early 1980s, the Texas oil industry
witnessed a sharp decline. In drafting its
budget for higher education, the legislature
failed to make adequate adjustments for
increased enrollments and inflation, and it distributed
funds later than usual. Victoria College,
a financially conservative bastion, was impacted
less than other colleges and universities.
Fortunately for the college, local taxable property
values showed increases, partially offsetting
the state shortfall. 74
Bing, an astute observer of the poor economy,
assured the faculty and staff there would be no
salaries cut or positions terminated, but he took
other steps to address the problem. The administration
continued to assign biology instructor
Harvey Spies agriculture classes, rather than hire
a new agriculture teacher; eliminated the career
pilot program because enrollment in the class was
✯
Kemper Williams, Jr., (left) of the
Victoria Civic Chorus listens to
comments by Governor Bill Clements
who handed Victoria College
Choral Director Ruth Williams a
proclamation making the Victoria
singers the official Texas ambassadors
to the 1988 Australian World’s Fair.
Also present at the ceremony are (left
to right) Dr. Glenn Goerke, UHV;
Rosamund Haynes of New Zealand;
and Dr. Roland E. Bing.
Bingdom ✦ 167