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

efore Victoria remains unclear. A story that
circulated among the faculty for years was that
“The” distinguished the two-year college from
a beauty school referred to as Victoria College.
Administrators at the junior college gave no
credence to the rumor. 66
With the building program underway,
Moore turned his attention periodically to the
employment of a faculty. From the outset, the
president was determined to bring to the campus
the best qualified individuals he could
find, a trademark of the college since its inception
in 1925. He did not look far. Moore
dipped into the talented pool of teachers at
Patti Welder who possessed a wide-spread reputation
for their professionalism, were heralded
by former and current students as outstanding
educators, and were teaching college
courses. Jewell Hudler was tapped as dean of
women and social sciences teacher. The suave,
friendly Ed C. Shinn was appointed dean of
men, head track coach, and assistant football
coach. Leona Jones was employed as student
personnel director and business administration
instructor. B. F. Harbour, dean of Victoria
Junior College and an esteemed school administrator,
became dean of adult education and
the evening school. The Industrial Arts
Department was entrusted to William H. “Doc”
Steele, a man who had more bark than bite.
Employed to teach biology was Lucille Adair.
The Art Department was placed in the hands of
the gentle, soft-spoken Ethel Thurmond, a
member of a pioneer Victoria family and who
held the distinction of being listed in Who’s
Who in American Art. She was commissioned by
Moore to do a large size painting to hang in the
foyer of the Administration Building. Una T.
Hunter who had taught language arts classes
for several years at the junior college was hired
to continue her teaching at the new location.
Mathematics and physics courses were to be
taught by the overly possessive Roland Beard,
an outstanding lay archeologist who assisted in
the restoration of the Presidio La Bahia in
Goliad County. The energetic Esther Etzel
accepted the position of recreation director
and instructor of physical education. Hester W.
“Stump” Evans who was coaching football and
basketball at Victoria Junior College continued
in that capacity at the Victoria College. The
personable Lois Parker was selected as the
librarian to oversee the 5,000 volume collection.
Rounding out the initial faculty, were J. D.
Howell, Mrs. Roy G. Browne, Roy Browne, V. T.
Kallus, Jewell Sockwell, Broyles Hall, W. A.
Routt, Allen Self, Harold Gardner, and Mary
Ann Williams. 67
What Moore needed to complete his grand
design for a pace-setting junior college was a
dynamic individual who possessed impeccable
educational and personal credentials, who
understood how to develop a curriculum that
would meet the demands of transferability, who
could, through his leadership, quickly gain the
confidence of the faculty, and who could be
relied upon to manage the academic demands
of the college. He found such a person in Dr.
John W. Stormont who was then dean of
Schreiner Institute.
Stormont, the son of a Presbyterian minister,
was reared in Robstown. He received a
bachelor of arts degree from Austin College, an
M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas.
His educational career included a stint as principal
and coach at Edna High School, high
school principal and superintendent in
Yorktown, principal of Robstown High School,
and assistant professor of history at the Texas
College of Mines, now known as University of
Texas at El Paso. Stormont was head of the
Social Studies Department at Schreiner prior to
his entry into the Army Air Corps in 1943.
After his discharge from the service in 1946, he
returned to Schreiner as dean. While Stormont
was employed in the Edna school system, he
met a local girl, Mary Claire Fenner, who
became his bride. 68
Instrumental in acquiring the services of
Stormont was Joseph Wearden, president of the
board at Victoria College. Wearden and
Stormont were acquaintances and held mutual
respect for each other. He drew upon his personal
influence with the dean to persuade
Stormont to accept a position at the college.
After Stormont agreed to become the dean of the
day school, Moore remarked, “The college
administration is highly pleased to have a man
of his caliber and experience.” The presidentelect
further stated, “He will be a definite asset
to the school.” Stormont, without a doubt, was
an asset to the college. 69 Adios, Patti Welder ✦ 65