Merced College Los Banos Campus celebrates 50th Anniversary with acknowledgments, awards
The Merced College Los Banos Campus commemorated its 50th anniversary with a celebration Friday that included a walk down memory lane, by acknowledging leaders who helped make the institution a success.
College officials and local dignitaries were on hand to celebrate the milestone occasion. There was free food and entertainment, including carnival games, to celebrate the five decades the campus has been open on Merced County’s west side.
The event was free for Los Banos and Dos Palos residents, along with Merced College supporters.
Guests were treated to barbecued food prepared by Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke and Merced College Trustee John Pedrozo.
Current and past Los Banos Campus staff and students were honored including John Spevak. As a former dean of the Los Banos Campus, Spevak was recognized with a Legacy of Leadership Award during the event.
Spevak was a faculty member when the campus opened in 1971 and still teaches on campus during his retirement.
All five previous deans of the campus were also acknowledged during the celebration.
The Los Banos Campus began operation in September 1971. Ted McVey was the founding dean of the then-new campus, which started in a rented facility at 821 West L Street.
In 1982 the campus moved to a location at 1900 S. Mercey Springs Road, in modular buildings on 10 acres of land donated by Los Banos resident Richard Menezes.
In 2002, residents of Los Banos and Dos Palos approved a bond that enabled the college to construct a permanent campus at its current site west of Los Banos on Highway 152. The new facility opened its doors in 2007.
This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
