The history of the DMC Vikings
Last issue, the focus was finding out how the Port Hole name was almost that of the Foghorn newspaper. This time around, we’re looking to Del Mar History to fix it.
Surely, we all know that Del Mar College’s mascot has always been the Vikings.
Ever since the college first established a mascot back in 1939, the Viking name has been synonymous with what was called Corpus Christi Junior College at the time. Alright, something’s wrong here.
Checking the College’s website, you’ll find that it says the mascot name dates back to 1939. After digging through the Foghorn archives however, I fear that year may be wrong.
I direct your attention to volume three, issue five, wherein the very first citation of the word ‘Vikings’ in reference to Corpus Christi Junior College athletics is found.
In fact, ‘vikings’ is the very first word in the whole paper, being found in the front page’s top headline. This issue was released on December 15, 1938, so I’d consider the year before the website’s 1939 reference to be the first year the Viking name was used.
While 1939 is cited by Del Mar College’s website as the first year the Vikings mascot name was used, a look into Foghorn archives reveals a reference to a Corpus Christi Junior College Vikings team being found in the December 15, 1938 issue.
No other issues around the time announced the establishment of the Vikings name however, so I’m not sure of how the Vikings name came about, only that it was first used in 1938.
With that, consider this installment of The Port Hole finished! I’ll leave you with a simple question: a foghorn is, quite literally, a large horn that is generally used as a warning sign for boats. Given a newspaper named after a large horn, what was depicted in the first Foghorn logo?
Latest Foghorn News
- Bringing home the gold for Del Mar College“I was expecting a bum rush, I was just thinking that this is gonna be a dogfight in the beginning.” Boxing is a sport of toughness, determination and endurance. To become the best, you must be willing to continuously trade fierce blows and outlast the strongest of competitors. Through years of training and dedication, 28-year-old Kennedy Contreras did just that as she turned dreams into reality on March 29 in Macon, Georgia, becoming the first woman in Texas to win a championship title at the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association’s National Tournament. Originally from Midland, Texas, Contreras’ boxing journey began…
- A look at Del Mar’s own mariachi groupEvery Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, the Richardson Performance Hall is filled with Del Mar’s mariachi ensemble. The mariachi group has grown over time, and it’s thriving as a proud part of campus life. Today, it gives students a chance to express their heritage, grow musically, and share the spirit of mariachi with the community. Del Mar’s mariachi program originally began in the early ‘90s and quickly gained attention after placing in the Mariachi Extravaganza in 1999 which was very meaningful to the program. But after a few strong years, the group went inactive until 2014. Del Mar brought the…
- Medical Support Squad on wheels for Del Mar College studentsA new Medical Support Squad is helping make health care easier to access and more affordable for DMC students and staff. The mobile medical services are available for Del Mar students and staff in a new partnership with South Texas Family Planning and Health Corporation. The Medical Support Squad is a medical clinic on wheels with a lab and two exam rooms and can provide many pharmacy, lab and health services to all three Del Mar campuses. Patients have access to free and affordable services, screenings, and treatments including women’s health exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, a full range…
- SGA wraps up spring semesterDel Mar’s Student Government Association held their final meeting for the Spring 2025 semester at Heritage campus where the group discussed an upcoming conference, the success of two on-campus programs and the addition of a new mobile medical clinic. TJCSGA Convention The meeting kicked off with a discussion of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association convention, held April 10-13 in Galveston. “State conferences are about visiting with 50 other community colleges throughout Texas and discussing the needs for our students,” explained SGA Director and Advisor Beverly Cage. “These resolutions were sent to our state representatives in Austin, then DMC…
- Looking back on the deep history of Del MarWhen I arrived at Del Mar College in 1967 the new library had just been completed and thousands of books brought from the second floor of the History Building which had been housing them. Designers had the foresight to include two extra floors for future expansion. I was delighted to find all 130 volumes of the Official Records of the Civil War, an absolute must for Civil War research. When I was assigned a student typist, I knew what that meant: I was expected to publish. I had been told by Del Mar recruiter Grady St. Clair that four-year status…
- I took a chance on news writing and found a passionDuring my time at Del Mar College, I ended up receiving much more than some credits and a diploma. My life and my goals for the future completely evolved into something I never would have guessed. And it all started with Foghorn News. When I first started taking classes at Del Mar, it was mostly because my mom kept telling me to. After having taken some time off, too much time in her opinion, my mom was convinced I would never get a degree if I didn’t do it now. To her, putting this off was only wasting time and…