History

The History of Court Reporting at Del Mar College

The first non-credit Court Reporting class at Del Mar College was held in the evenings on the West Campus in the Fall of 1971. There were approximately 10 students, men and women, who developed their stenographic skills with the Philadelphia Theory.

Of the students who began this course, three went on to certify and work as Court Reporters: Minerva Arriaga, Dolores Oliveira Gonzalez, and Leonor Villarreal.

In 1974, Sue Clark persuaded Peggy Laudadio to leave her teaching position at King High School to be the first full-time instructor for credit classes in Court Reporting; she remained for over 25 years.

During this time period, there was no official Texas certification in place. All Court Reporters were certified locally in their own jurisdictions under a two-test system administered by a sitting judge. Both tests were given at the old Nueces County Courthouse. The first test was administered by Judge Vernon Harville and local attorneys in the form of a live mock trial. Students had to write the trial, read back, and transcribe the proceedings. In 1977, the Court Reporters Certification Board was created to certify and regulate Court Reporters.

Since 1971, Del Mar College has educated hundreds of Court Reporters who serve the Coastal Bend area. Some of the teachers contributing to the education of these Court Reporters over the years are: Peggy Laudadio, Nancy Smith, Glenda Vickery, Tracy Johnston, Darcy Gohlke, Joy Hebert, Dolores Oliveira Gonzalez, and Cindy Zamzow.

Dolores Oliveira Gonzalez was one of the first Court Reporting students in the program. She went on to serve as a court reporter in Nueces County for 22 years.

She is currently one of our Court Reporting Instructors at Del Mar College.