Del Mar’s best and brightest will once again be honored at the 74th annual Recognition Ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7 in Richardson Performance Hall.
The recognition ceremony honors inductees of Del Mar’s Hall of Fame, Instructors of the Year and DMC Outstanding Academic Students. The Hall of Fame is one of the top accomplishments a Del Mar student can strive for, reserved for those who have proven themselves in leadership, scholarly dedication, as well as participation in student organizations. For nearly 75 years, students who have proven themselves have been added to Hall of Fame and are celebrated for their academic achievements. The Hall of Fame launched in 1949, and features more than 400 students, with new students added nearly every year.
The selection process comes from nominations given to sophomore students from a committee of administrative staff and facility. The Hall of Fame winners are displayed on the first and second floor of the Harvin Center of Del Mar’s Heritage Campus.
Director of Leadership and Student Life Beverly Cage oversees the Hall of Fame, as well as the annual Recognition Ceremony. Academics, community service both on and off campus, and engagement on campus outside of academics have the most weight for the selection process Cage said.
An example of a former student inductee in the Hall of Fame is Lavernis Royal. In 1952, Del Mar was one of the first colleges in Texas to desegregate, allowing seven African American students into the college. According to Caller-Times articles of the time, the transition went smoothly, with faculty and students welcoming the new students. Royal was one of these students and began his academic career selected as Freshmen Class Representative in 1952.
“We should not have a minority that is depressed, oppressed, and denied self-advancement,” Royal told Harper’s Magazine in a 1954 article. “The only way to bring about brotherhood and goodwill in the world is to begin at home.”
Two years later, Royal became the first African American student to be featured on the Hall of Fame and his image is still on the wall of the Havin Center to this day. With passion for the arts, Royal went on to have a successful career as an artist, with several of his art pieces still displayed at Del Mar and one of hundreds of Del Mar success stories that continues to inspire many.
