CANYON, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — On Tuesday, West Texas A&M University announced that August Vinson, a senior history major from Amarillo, placed third in the storied Battle of Flowers oratorical contest with a speech recounting the life of Tom “Pinkie” Roden.
“Pinkie was the father of the University of Texas–Permian Basin, a bootlegger and a man who acquired an incredible amount of tainted money and used it for selfless ventures,” Vinson said.
According to WT officials, the 101st Battle of Flowers was held on Feb. 27 at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, where Vinson placed third and won a $1,500 scholarship. This year’s theme for the contest, the second-oldest collegiate oratorical contest in the country, was “Lawmakers and Lawbreakers.”…