ASC lobbied for separation from A&M and ultimately admission into the University of Texas System, which occurred when Texas governor John Connally signed Senate Bill 401 into law on April 23, 1965. Athletics at ASC were dominated by the football team, which won back-to-back Junior Rose Bowls in 1956 and 1957, bringing the college national recognition for the first time. ASC also created a men's swimming program during the mid-1960s that featured Doug Russell, a collegiate national champion who would go on to win a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Grubbs Vocational College (GVC) was organized as a junior college in March 1917. It was established as a branch campus of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (AMC), which later became Texas A&M University. The namesake of GVC was Vincent W. Grubbs, a judge from Greenville who was instrumental in the creation of the college. Grubbs was a strong supporter of the state's agricultural, industrial, and mechanical schools, which he believed provided a critical education "for the poor boys and girls of Texas". He was convinced that the existing system of higher education in the state was unfair to poor and rural children, particularly those growing up on farms. Grubbs himself was a native of Kentucky who moved to Texas during his childhood, eventually becoming a lawyer and a contributor and co-owner of a newspaper. In 1902, he was instrumental in the establishment of the College of Industrial Arts (later renamed Texas Woman's University) in Denton. In spring 1917, Grubbs lobbied the 35th legislative session in Austin to secure the establishment of what was to become GVC through House Bill 656 and Senate Bill 449. While he was at the capitol, his friend A. D. Jackson recommended the name "Grubbs Vocational College" for the school. On March 20, the parallel bills were passed by both the Texas Senate and House of Representatives, and on March 25 Texas governor James E. Ferguson signed them into law. The bills defined the mission of GVC to be "the education of white boys and girls" in Texas. They also established John Tarleton Agricultural College (JTAC) in Stephenville, likewise as part of the AMC system. GVC was established with its own advisory "local board of managers", but this body was placed under the direction and ultimate authority of the board of directors at AMC in College Station. Grubbs himself was never selected as dean of GVC, a snub that caused lasting resentment for him.