CSULB
has accomplished much during Maxson’s
years at The Beach
By Lesley Nickus
Online Forty-Niner
Diversions Editor
President Robert C. Maxson has done a number of things for this campus since
his 1994 arrival to Cal State Long Beach. He has also been around long
enough to see the university grow into what it is today.
In June 1994, Maxson became the fifth president since CSULB opened in 1949.
Also during that year, The Walter Pyramid, then known as simply “The
Pyramid,” opened, Disabled Student Services received a $500,000 gift
from Stephen Benson, a CSULB alumnus, and the Rockwell Engineering Design Center
was named in honor of a $300,000 gift from Rockwell International Corp.
In 1995, CSULB received $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Education
for the Upward Bound Program to help high school students gain admission to
college. Isabel Patterson, for whom the Isabel Patterson Child Development
Center was named, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree.
She was a member of CSULB’s first graduating class. Maxson became the
host of the interview show “Beach View,” shown weekly on Long Beach
cable.
1995 was also the year Maxson established his President’s Scholars Program,
providing full scholarships to California high school valedictorians and National
Merit Scholars. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program,
which provides academic support for low-income, first-generation college students
interested in a doctoral degree, received a $775,000 grant.
In 1996, the National Science Foundation listed CSULB the No. 1 comprehensive
university with science graduates moving on to earn doctoral degrees. It was
declared No. 2 in engineering. The Long Beach University for Seniors opened,
offering classes for senior citizens.
CSULB was ranked No. 1 in private financial support among U.S. public comprehensive
universities in 1997 and was given the Circle of Excellence in Educational
Fund Raising Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Also during that year, the Ukleja Family Hall of Honor was opened in The Walter
Pyramid, highlighting the university’s rich athletic traditions.
In 1998, the campus saw a number of accomplishments and significant events
take place. Women’s water polo an NCAA sport, Tommy Lasorda, former Dodgers’ manager,
received an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree and Division 1 womens’ soccer
was also added to the intercollegiate sports program while the women’s
volleyball team completed its first undefeated season at 36-0, later capturing
the national championship.
Oracle Corp. donated $1.3 million in computer software to the College of Business
Administration. Once again, CSULB was ranked No. 1 in private financial support
as its annual fundraising reached nearly $25 million.
The doors to the Child and Family center opened to serve children of faculty
and staff with a pre-school laboratory for students majoring in child development.
1999 proved to be a personally successful year for Maxson as he received his
first University President of the Year Award. He also
announced CSULB would become the first university to guarantee support for
teachers graduating from CSULB during their first year of professional service.
CSULB celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 1999 and kicked off an 18-month
celebration with Founders Day. Luster E. and Audrey Nichol Hauth donated $1
million to establish the Hauth Center for Communication Skills on campus.
The University Art Museum received an art collection worth $3.2 million from
the Gordon Hampton Foundation and the nursing program received permission to
take over a low-cost clinic in Orange County, Casa de Salud.
CSULB ranked No. 1 in the country for fundraising in the public master’s
institution in 2000, and the College of Education received a $1.29 million
grant to prepare teachers to use modern technology in their classrooms.
Richard Carpenter, of the Carpenters, received an honorary degree in 2000 and
the Boeing Company and CSULB formed a partnership to help the manufacturing
engineering program, giving the school $1.15 million in cash and $1 million
in equipment donations.
In September of the same year, the three-campus Orange Coast Community College
District, which includes Coastline Golden West and Orange Coast Colleges, signed
an agreement with CSULB to collaborate on a program for elementary school teacher
preparation.
The dawning of the new millennium was a positive one for CSULB with the campus
winning multiple awards, including being ranked among the top 20 physics master’s
degree programs in the nation and being named as having the best university
Web site in the country, according to the Kaplan/Newsweek College Catalog.
The campus also had its largest freshman class in the history of the university,
with 4,517 students.
Maxson also did well. He was given the 2001 Humanitarian Award by the Greater
Long Beach National Conference for Community and Justice, which honors civic
contributions and commitment to humankind.
In 2002, Maxson won the President of the Year award for the second time since
his employment at CSULB by the California State Student Association.
Steven Spielberg earned his bachelor’s degree in film and electronic
arts with his fellow 2002 classmates and CSULB became the largest CSU campus
with a total enrollment of 34,566 students.
In February 2003, two CSULB cheer teams captured three national titles at the
United Spirit Associations’ Collegiate Cheer and Dance Nationals. Later,
the Center for Language and Minority Education and Research received a $1.45
million grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a program with the
Long Beach Unified School District to help teachers prepare to teach ESL students.
In May, the North Campus Center was renamed the Steve and Nini Horn Center
to recognize CSULB’s former president and the couple’s contributions
to the school. CSULB was named one of the top 100 U.S. College and Universities
for entrepreneurs by’Entrepreneur magazine and was listed among the top
50 regionally recognized academic programs in the country.
For the third time since beginning his presidency, the California State Student
Association named Maxson University President of the Year.
In August 2003, the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletic Certification granted
full certification to the athletic programs at CSULB.
Mechanical and aerospace engineering students joined members of a team that
conducted the first-known flight test of a liquid-propellant powered rocket
engine as part of the university’s California Launch Vehicle Education
Initiative in conjunction with Garvey Spacecraft Corp.
CSULB and Long Beach Memorial Medical Center/Millers Children’s Hospital
set precedents in a $15 million nursing education partnership, enabling the
nursing program to double the amount of students earning RN/BSN degrees.
Dirtbag pitcher Jared Weaver won eight National Collegiate Player of the Year
awards and was selected in the No. 12 spot in the first-round Major League
Baseball amateur draft by the Anaheim Angels.
After winning the award three times previously, Maxson won the University President
of the Year Award, prompting the California Student Association to rename the
award in his honor.
In 2005, Maxson announced his retirement and the search for a qualified replacement
began.
Overall, Maxson has seen the university grow from a relatively small campus
to the flourishing, award-winning campus it is today.
Rick Gloady of CSULB Media Relations provided information for this article.
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