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

class thought they were “special” because of the
greater amount of personal freedom they had as
college students. She was one of the seven allgirl
graduating class of 1945.
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…David Bianchi applied for admission to
Texas A&M University in 1938. For some
unknown reason, Victoria Junior College
gave him credit for a semester of integral
calculus that he had not taken. Bianchi did
not complain. At the university, he took the second
semester of the course and earned a grade
that exempted him from the final. He has
often wondered if he could have passed the
final examination.
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…Chad Whitmore, chairman of the English
Department, sought approval of textbooks by Dr.
John Stormont. The chairman was asked if he
“had looked at this and that in the various
books.” Whitmore said that he had. Again,
Stormont was queried by the chairman about the
books. After the discussion, Whitmore returned
to his office “placed all the textbooks on a hand
truck and took them to Dr. Stormont to review.”
Afterwards, whenever he approached the dean
about a textbook, Whitmore received an “okay”
without having to go through the torturous
inquisition of selecting textbooks.
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…Marilyn Morris and other nursing instructors
held a social event and invited Dr. Roland
Bing. For the occasion, Lee Zawadzki baked a
rum cake. “She apparently reasoned that if 1/4
cup of rum was good, 1/2 cup would be better.”
Before the guests arrived Zawadzki heated the
cake up, and “the entire Allied Health Building
exuded this aromatic fragrance of rum.” All
those in attendance, including Bing, had a
splendid time.
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…Lela Welder Cliburn gave a student a ride
home in her car. “He rode in the rumble
seat…and played his tuba the entire trip.” The
driver was not amused.
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…Mrs. Charles Baass was a Pirate
cheerleader during the Depression. She had a
✯
William H. “Doc” Steele, director of
the Maintenance Department.
218 ✦ THE VICTORIA COLLEGE, 1925-2000