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kaleidoscope 2002

Cal State Long Beach: history in the making

By Jeff Dusing
On-line Forty-Niner

With Cal State Long Beach working its way through the 21st century, only a few of its current residents realize just how far our campus has come in its 53 years of education.
 
With 3,250 full and part-time students, 1,893 faculty and 1,499 staff members, CSULB has swelled to become one of the largest universities in the Cal State system.
 
Just walking around campus, many would agree our campus often resembles a city more than a college. Despite what some intimated freshmen may think, the 322 acres that comprise our campus have not always been what they are today.
 
"A lot of it has to do with the fact that the campus is getting a much better reputation," said Armando Contreras, executive assistant to Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson. "We are not so much of a secret anymore."
 
CSULB began educating the public in 1949 after a post World War II survey determined that the impending population growth in Los Angeles and Orange counties would merit the construction of a university capable of serving both counties. For this reason, Long Beach was chosen as the residence for the project. Additionally, the donation of land by the city of Long Beach added incentive for the project.
 
In its first year of operation, CSULB offered classes in a converted apartment building for the low price of $12 per unit. There were 169 students being taught by 13 faculty members.
 
The curriculum was focused on a total of five majors, including business administration, teacher education and liberal arts incorporated from a total of 24 different courses.
 
In 1951, the construction began on the city-donated land. By 1960, enrollment had grown to 10,000 students.
 
In the '60s, eight sculptors from the International Sculptor Symposium created the works located around campus. During this time Long Beach became the first school in the Cal State system to offer a degree in the area of fine arts.
 
Although the campus had been in operation for more than 20 years, it was not until the early 1970s that the name was changed to California State University, Long Beach. During this time, the student population passed the 30,000 mark.
 
Construction during the '70s was a common thing around campus as the University Student Union, the Isabel Patterson Child Development Center, the Student Services Administration Building -- which later came to be know as Brotman Hall -- the University Library and the Learning Assistance Center were all completed.
 
The 1980s brought KLON, CSULB's jazz radio station, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden and the University Music Center.
 
Also during the '80s the 49er's athletic teams gained recognition as the men's and women's volleyball and basketball programs began to excel.
 
Some of the more recent additions include the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater, the 2,800-space parking structure, The Pyramid, and of course, our current university president, Robert Maxson.
 
This article originally appeared in the 2001 Kaleidoscope Issue.

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