Lois Bing When Lois Black Bing graduated from Wooster in 1931, she was prepared to spend the rest of her life as a wife, mother, and homemaker, but a fateful accident would shatter those plans and take her on an entirely different journey.

Lois had met the man who would become her husband, James A. Bing, during her first day on campus after being introduced by Lois' brother Marion, a.k.a. "Blackie," who also happened to be James' roommate.

On October 26, 1931, Lois and James were married, and the two settled down for what they hoped would be a long life together. James became an optometrist, and Lois took on a vital support role.

"James asked me to become involved in the women's auxiliary, so I organized one," says Lois. "Later, I became president of the state auxiliary and eventually president of the national auxiliary."

As James' practice began to grow, so did his interest in the field of vision therapy. At the same time, the couple added a son, who was born on January 2, 1933. Everything seemed to be going so well for the Bing family, until a tragic accident claimed James' life on February 10, 1945. He had volunteered to fix a window at the home of Lois' mother, but when he stepped out onto the slippery slate roof, he lost his footing and plunged to his death.

"Now what?" wondered Lois. How could she possibly pick up the pieces and carry on?

"My father urged me to go back to school and carry on my husband's work," she says. "It was something I never considered, but the outpouring of support from my family and friends was so strong, I resolved to do it."

It would not be an easy road. First, she had to go back to school and take the undergraduate science and math courses she skipped the first time around. Then she would have to apply to optometry school, knowing that even if she were accepted, there was no guarantee she would make it through.

Three years after her husband's death, through grit, determination, perseverance, and hard work, Lois received her degree from The Ohio State School of Optometry in 1948. That same year she entered private practice, and launched a career that would carry on for more than 50 years. She continued to better herself through post-graduate work at The Ohio State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Western Reserve Academy. She also received an honorary Doctorate of Ocular Science from the Massachusetts College of Optometry in 1962.

Outside of her practice, Lois chaired the American Optometric Association's committee on visual problems in schools from 1951-1963; served as a vision consultant for the Euclid School District from 1953-1968; and chaired the awards committee of the Ohio Optometric Association from 1975-1987. In addition, she organized the School for Vision Forum in 1951 and chaired it until 1997.

Lois has received many honors, including the Apollo Award for distinguished service to humanity from the American Optometric Association and the American Academy of Optometry's Carel Koch Award for outstanding interprofessional relations. She also received Ohio State Optometric Association's inaugural Videre Award for Outstanding Public Relations, and the G.N. Getman Award for Excellence in Developmental Optometry. In addition, she was named to Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women educators, and chosen as an Honorary Life Member of the Ohio Council and the International Reading Associations. Just last month, she received the crowning achievement to her career when she was elected to the National Optometry Hall of Fame

The author of journal articles in American Optometric Association, Optometric Weekly, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and others, Lois also co-authored a book, titled Children's Vision and School Success, with Dr. George D. Spache, past president of the International Reading Association.

The most amazing aspect of Lois Black Bing's remarkable life story, however, is that she is still practicing today at the age of 92.