In addition to his own artwork, Viktor has reshaped the field of American design through his influence as a teacher. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1925 to 1929. After graduation and studies in Europe he returned to become the youngest artist ever hired to teach at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

The classes Viktor taught varied from year to year. Like himself, the entire faculty maintained active careers in industrial design. Indeed, he insisted that his instructors teach only three days a week. Because Viktor networked constantly with figures in industry, he was able to place his students in good jobs.

Those who studied with Viktor agree that not only was the content of his classes fascinating, but also that he was an extraordinary role model. He was always wonderfully casual and informal in approach. What pushed his students to work hard was not an authoritarian manner, but the penetrating nature of his seemingly casual questions, which immediately showed up the weakness of anything ill considered or poorly designed.

During his 70 years of teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Viktor has instructed nearly 1,000 students. They include the first woman ever hired full-time by an American automotive company and the first African American to graduate from the Institute of Art. Over the years, his students have produced billions of dollars of successful products for American industry.

Read about his students.