Building a Legacy

Building A Legacy of Excellence

In 1949, Long Beach State began with a bold vision: a high-quality educational institution to serve a diverse population in a rapidly growing industrial region.

Seventy years later, The Beach has evolved not only to produce leaders of industry, but to become a beacon of academic empowerment - a future-focused, egalitarian university where people of all backgrounds can rise to their greatest potential.

The Beach’s success is owed in no small part to the philanthropic contributions of its alumni and community members – those stalwart changemakers whose legacies are blazoned in the brick and mortar and preeminent stature of our campus. 

Foundational gifts like the Bob and Barbara Ellis Education Building and the Shakarian Family Student Success Center inspire us and remind us of the visionary supporters who allow the university to make its impact on the world stage. Perhaps most iconic, the Mike and Arlene Walter Pyramid is a dominating cobalt-blue presence both on campus and in the national arena of college sports. 

Other lasting namesakes, like the Gerald M. Kline Innovation Space, the Spidell Technology Center, the Bob Murphy Access Center, the Vivian Engineering Center and the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership ensure students have the tools needed to advance the fields that represent their benefactors’ passions and priorities for the public good.  

Non-academic gifts, like the Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, the Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center, and the Bohl Diamond at Blair Field, reinforce the inimitable spirit of shared purpose that characterizes our Beach community.

Private philanthropy has helped make CSULB a university of choice, and it will play an even larger role in our future success by keeping students debt-free, by providing outstanding academic experiences, ensuring our collective resilience against the tests of our era, and by enabling CSULB to serve as a cultural and creative hub for the entire region.

As we stand on the precipice of a new decade full of promise and challenge, we invite all who share our vision to stand with the next generation of leaders and problem solvers.