When 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 for the college was just a matter of time and hiring Ph.D.s was essential. Dr. Edith Parker, History Department chair, had made history as secretary to Texas Senator Tom Connolly by writing the declaration of war against Japan in 1941. She remained in contact with Lyndon Johnson whom she had first known when he was a congressman. Her doctoral advisor at the University of Texas was the renowned historian Walter Prescott Web.

I liked the connection Del Mar had with the Navy. During World War II the Naval Air Station used Del Mar staff and facilities for instructing both aviator cadets and civilian employees. It was appropriate to have the new library named for William White, a regent who had been an aviator-instructor at the station. Del Mar would later be involved in the ADCOP program which brought Navy petty officers to the college as full-time students. And what achievers they were!

I liked it too that Del Mar kept a connection to its history. On main campus one could still see cement walks with “WPA” for Works Progressive Administration, the New Deal organization established in 1935 to provide employment. These were a great teaching tool to use in U.S. history classes.

At the beginning of each fall term President Jean Richardson and his wife Elinor would sponsor an informal banquet and reception for the entire faculty and staff. It was their way of letting us know we were “family.” 

Dr. E.L. Harvin was a wonderful gentleman. Although officially retired, he was teaching part time in the History Department. During his travels while college president he had collected rare books that included the Official Records of Civil War Navies and the complete series of original Confederate Veteran magazines currently in the college archives. Many of his books are now in my personal library.

Who could ever forget Jerry McCord, proprietor of the Del Mar Book Store on Ayers? Jerry was not just selling books: he was an essential part of the Del Mar family and did everything he could to boost both students and faculty. We could call him anytime. The Christmas parties held in his garage with a hired band became legendary.

Students in the male dormitory were misbehaving and its supervisor, a former Navy man, was unable to control them. I had to drop three of these troublemakers who were at the college to go surfing and avoid being drafted and were not even attending classes. To my astonishment they were allowed back the following semester. I was told by another dorm student they were bent on revenge and had hatched a plan to break into my office and destroy everything. It was a very scary situation.

Although the college had excellent professors—three were Piper Professors and others would follow—there were exceptions, like the instructor in government who made unfounded accusations in his classes that certain faculty members he identified by name were “communists.” McCarthyism at Del Mar! Fortunately, he did not receive tenure. Some faculty members had unusual proclivities like the professor who taught math and was so offended when students missed a class she would phone and demand to know why they were absent. Another professor became enraged when a student yawned in her class. Yawning was not allowed.

The Music Department was well known—and still is—for its top-notch faculty. In addition to performances at Wolfe Recital Hall members also played in the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maurice Peress, a protégé of the renowned Leonard Bernstein.

There was always interesting chit chat going on. Joe Cain in the Art Department, an ex-Marine, would tell us about Farah Fawcett whom he had taught at Ray High School. And the daughter of faculty members John and Shirley Agee, Jane, had married Hollywood actor James Brolin (“Marcus Welby MD”) just 12 days after they met. (Brolin is currently married to singer/actress Barbra Streisand.)

Norman C. Delaney Ph.D., retired Del Mar College professor, is both a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award winner and Dr. Aileen Creighton Award for Teaching Excellence winner.