Vic Herman (1919 - 1999) was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. When Herman was one-year-old his father, who played in the famous Paul Whiteman band, moved the family to Los Angeles where they settled in the Mexican district of the city where young Vic grew up. Says Herman, "If the many peoples of Mexico, when seeing my exhibitions, accept my paintings as authentic in telling the story of their daily lives, and if the peoples of the United States understand the dignity, culture and arts of the Mexican peoples, I feel that I will have fulfilled the purpose of my activities-that is, helping to cement the friendship between our two countries." In 1969, during the bicentennial celebration of the founding of San Diego, Herman was awarded a Medallion of Honor for his part in furthering good relations between Mexico and the United States.