During his tenure as president starting in 1967, ASU’s enrollment had more than doubled from 2,556 in 1967 to more than 6,200 by 1994. By the time he had announced his impending retirement in 1995, he had served ASU as president for more than 26 years. But, while attending a board of regents meeting in Alpine in August of 1994, he suffered a stroke and died. Dr. Vincent had literally given his life to and for Angelo State University. His passing truly marked the end of an era.
To honor his memory, members of the ASU family and the community raised funds for a memorial that was dedicated adjacent to the University Mall at Johnson Street. The sculpture was the creation of San Angelo College graduate and renowned artist Lincoln Fox. “The Quest,” as Fox named the memorial, features an American Eagle swooping over a stack of books and lifting with his claw a partially opened book skyward.
Said the sculptor, “It is through education that man is able to soar beyond the shackles of ignorance and misconception, into a new life of freedom and accomplishment. It is the freeing of man’s imagination that allows his spirit to fly.”
The soaring eagle has a nine-foot wingspan and rests atop an obelisk that brings the monument’s height to 20 feet.