College History

Long Beach City College
College catalog

College History

One of 106 community colleges in California, Long Beach City College serves a district that encompasses the cities of Long Beach, Signal Hill, Avalon and most of Lakewood.

The college was founded in 1927. Initially housed at Woodrow Wilson High School, it established a reputation for excellence from its first years. Its debate team won conference honors and was termed the top junior college team in the state. Its library was cited as a model nationally and received a Carnegie Corporation grant to expand further. In athletics, the college garnered a state championship in basketball and conference first-place wins in wrestling, baseball and men's and women's swimming in its first year of competition. Its intramurals program, also established that first year, is the oldest community college program of its type in the nation. Clubs and traditions established in those first years are thriving today.

Classes were offered outdoors and in tents after the 1933 earthquake destroyed Wilson High. The college moved to its present Liberal Arts Campus, at Clark Avenue and Carson Street, in 1935. The Pacific Coast Campus, located on Paci-fic Coast Highway between Walnut and Orange streets, was added in 1949 as enrollment increased rapidly following World War II. The college separ-ated from the Long Beach Unified School District as the result of state law in 1979 and is governed by a five-member, elected Board of Trustees.

The national newspaper Community College Week found in 1993, and again in 1995, that Long Beach City College is one of the largest and most effective community colleges in the nation. Another study found that only nine other two-year colleges in the nation awarded more associate degrees to minority students than Long Beach City College, according to the magazine, Black Issues in Higher Education.

The college's state-of-the-art commercial music program has been featured by Apple Com-puter in national advertising aimed at educators. The nursing and child-care programs have been named top in the state of all community college vocational programs by the State Chancellor's Office. In 1993 and 1995, the horticulture program was named the best program of its size in the state.

In 1992 and 1993, the speech and debate team won back-to-back national championships against both two- and four-year colleges. The men's athletics program has won more conference championships than any other community college in the state. The combined success of the men's and women's athletic teams has earned the college the overall Supremacy Award six consecutive times.

Recently, Long Beach City College completed a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Pacific Coast Campus and the renovation and expansion of the art and music buildings at the Liberal Arts Campus. The college will also begin the twenty-first century with a new math and science building.

catalog Index


Long Beach City College College catalog
		*College History* One of 106 community colleges in California, Long Beach City College serves a district that encompasses the cities of Long Beach, Signal Hill, Avalon and most of Lakewood. The college was founded in 1927. Initially housed at Woodrow Wilson High School, it established a reputation for excellence from its first years. Its debate team won conference honors and was termed the top junior college team in the state. Its library was cited as a model nationally and received a Carnegie Corporation grant to expand further. In athletics, the college garnered a state championship in basketball and conference first-place wins in wrestling, baseball and men's and women's swimming in its first year of competition. Its intramurals program, also established that first year, is the oldest community college program of its type in the nation. Clubs and traditions established in those first years are thriving today. Classes were offered outdoors and in tents after the 1933 earthquake destroyed Wilson High. The college moved to its present Liberal Arts Campus, at Clark Avenue and Carson Street, in 1935. The Pacific Coast Campus, located on Paci-fic Coast Highway between Walnut and Orange streets, was added in 1949 as enrollment increased rapidly following World War II. The college separ-ated from the Long Beach Unified School District as the result of state law in 1979 and is governed by a five-member, elected Board of Trustees. The national newspaper Community College Week found in 1993, and again in 1995, that Long Beach City College is one of the largest and most effective community colleges in the nation. Another study found that only nine other two-year colleges in the nation awarded more associate degrees to minority students than Long Beach City College, according to the magazine, Black Issues in Higher Education. The college's state-of-the-art commercial music program has been featured by Apple Com-puter in national advertising aimed at educators. The nursing and child-care programs have been named top in the state of all community college vocational programs by the State Chancellor's Office. In 1993 and 1995, the horticulture program was named the best program of its size in the state. In 1992 and 1993, the speech and debate team won back-to-back national championships against both two- and four-year colleges. The men's athletics program has won more conference championships than any other community college in the state. The combined success of the men's and women's athletic teams has earned the college the overall Supremacy Award six consecutive times. Recently, Long Beach City College completed a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Pacific Coast Campus and the renovation and expansion of the art and music buildings at the Liberal Arts Campus. The college will also begin the twenty-first century with a new math and science building.


catalog Index