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| College History |
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Excerpted from Professor Walt Schuiling's books, From Jantzen to Jensen and Working Through From 1976 to 1992. Additional material taken from The Arrowhead newspaper.
Click on the time period below to go straight to that part of this article.
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| The Sheffield Presidency: 1958-1966 |
Herman Sheffield, Valley Colleges fifth president, well deserves to
be called "The Builder." In his eight-year tenure, the campus was enlarged
to its present size. Seven major buildings were constructed, and the students,
faculty and staff more than doubled in numbers.
During President Sheffield's first month in office, the Board of Trustees
adopted a master plan for expansion of the campus to Grant, Esperanza and
"K" Streets. Most of the residences acquired were sold and moved, but a
few were used as offices and classrooms until other permanent buildings
were constructed. One was used to exhibit artwork and was known as the "Little
Gallery." The Faculty Association requested that one of the homes be utilized
as a faculty club, but it was used to house the Nursing Department instead.
The campus was further enlarged in 1963 with the purchase of the Fairview
School property on Grant Street. The buildings, acquired for $40,000, were
converted to college use for horticulture classrooms, and to provide space
for such services as warehousing, shipping and receiving, and the college
print shop. The chemistry building was completed in the fall of 1958, and
construction of a business education building began in 1960. The swimming
pools were finished in 1962. Construction of an addition to the library
also began in 1962, after considerable board discussion as to its location.
When the construction contract was awarded, the Board was assured that another
building of similar design would be built on the corner of Richardson and
Mt. Vernon to "balance" the more modern look of the addition. A new art
building was initially considered for the site, but a decision was later
made to construct a combination lecture/forum and office building on the
site. An art building was completed in 1964, as was a new technical building.
The Women's Gymnasium was finished in 1965, and the Physical Science building
was finished a year later.
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1958-1966: Television KVCR
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One of the achievements for which Dr. Sheffield will be remembered was the
development of the college's educational television station. In his first
year as president, he began advising the Board of Trustees of the educational
possibilities of the new media, and of the desirability of acquiring one
of the designated educational UHF channels for college use. Since it was
possible that much of the cost of this proposal would be covered by special
grants, the Board authorized application for a channel assignment.
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1958-1966: Bed Push
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Student activities during the early Sheffield years generally followed the
traditions established in earlier years. An annual "bed push" race was introduced
in the early 1960s. The contest was first held on Richardson Avenue, which
at the time bisected the campus. Later, the walkway between the Administration
and Business buildings was used.
For many years, graduation week activities included a special breakfast
for the graduates. In 1962, a number of the faculty volunteered to act as
waiters at this breakfast, and a tradition was established that continues
to the present day.
A decrease of interest in student activities gradually developed throughout
the 1960s. In the spring of 1960, the Student Council decided to discontinue
the publication of the college annual due to lack of student interest and
support. Opposition was voices to provisions of the student dress code,
and in 1965 a student petition was circulated asking that the right of men
to wear long hair and beards be guaranteed.
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| The McDaniel Presidency: 1966-1967 |
Dr. Sheffield left his presidency on November 1, 1966 to become the
Superintendent of the Ventura Community College District, and John Wesley
McDaniel was appointed to replace him. Although McDaniel served only one
year as the president of Valley College, his impact was impressive and long
lasting. After seventeen years at Bakersfield Junior College, he joined
the Valley College staff in 1944 as the Director of Student Personnel and
Curriculum. In an administrative reorganization in 1957, he was named the
Vice President for Student Curriculum. Three years later, he became the
Vice President for Instruction. When he assumed the presidency of Valley
College in 1966, he already had forty years of experience in junior college
education.
"Mac" encouraged innovation and diversity. If a faculty member had plans
for a new and promising educational program, Mr. McDaniel could usually
be counted upon to be supportive. "Mutual trust and shared responsibility"
was his motto and the basis of his administrative philosophy. He constantly
stressed the role of the college as a service center for community educating,
stating that "a junior college should aim at creating a great community,
rather than creating a great college."
During this year, the program to bring visiting lecturers to the campus
was encouraged and expanded. Such distinguished personalities as Richard
Gardner, Henry Kissinger, Howard Thurman, John Ciardi and Sir Bernard Lovell
were guests on the campus.
In retrospect, the 1966-1967 year appears to be one of transition from the
earlier "Joe College" years to the later ones of student political activism.
Although there were still activities like the Annual Bed Race, the Tricycle
Grand Prix and a turtle race, a series of special student forums also aired
views on abortion, LSD and the draft. McDaniel sense the growing concern
and scheduled two hours each week to meet with students in an "open forum."
Much of President McDaniel's time was devoted to the planning of a second
campus in Yucaipa, and of the new district administrative organization that
must necessarily result. At the March 1967 Board meeting, a new multi-campus
district administrative organization was approved, with three administrators
of equal status (the two college presidents and a business manager) reporting
directly to McDaniel, who was named District Superintendent.
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