[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 140 (Monday, November 17, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 A TRIBUTE TO LOS ANGELES CITY COLLEGE

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                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 17, 2014

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Los Angeles City 
College (LACC) upon its eighty-fifth anniversary.
  LACC's site is one of the most significant locations in Los Angeles' 
education history, as it was not just the first community college in 
Los Angeles, but also served as the initial campus for both the 
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Cal State University 
Los Angeles. Its storied history began with the Normal School in Los 
Angeles, which provided graduates with credentials to teach 
kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 1919, to address the city's 
request for a local university, the Normal School transitioned into 
serving as the southern branch of the University of California Berkeley 
(UC Berkeley) for classes only; and in 1925, UC Berkeley permitted the 
southern branch, now UCLA, to award degrees.
  In 1929, after UCLA purchased their own land and moved west, the Los 
Angeles Board of Education bought the campus and turned it into the Los 
Angeles Junior College, now called Los Angeles City College. On 
September 4, 1929, LACC welcomed 1,350 students to its first fall 
semester, at the time the fourth largest academic institution in the 
country. Under new president Dr. William Henry Snyder, LACC's mission 
was twofold: to provide two years of transfer education, and to provide 
career training with general education via vocational programs such as 
civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, civic health, 
aeronautical engineering, secretarial science, social arts, and general 
business.
  The Depression era saw enrollment grow in 1933 from over 4,000 
students to nearly 7,000 students in 1940. Enrollment dropped 
significantly during World War II, and during this time, the college 
assisted the war effort by conducting courses for the Aviation Ground 
School, Civilian Pilot Training Program, the Army Specialized Training, 
and the Naval Reserve. After the war's end, many students attended LACC 
under the G.I. Bill, when enrollment went from 3,000 to 8,000 and half 
of the students were veterans. In 1947, an experimental four-year 
school was formed on the campus, called the Los Angeles State College 
of Applied Arts and Science, which while an admirable idea, proved to 
be impractical; so in 1955, the four-year school moved east to become 
California State University Los Angeles. During the 1950's, LACC 
received its first accreditation as a junior college, classes covering 
remedial instruction and new occupational programs including computer 
technology, human services, dental assisting, and nuclear medicine 
technology were offered, and an American Cultures Department was 
formed.
  The 1960's saw increased diversity among the student body, and new 
programs such as community service and non-credited classes in 
recreational areas, and the 1970's brought its first woman president, 
Dr. Stelle Feuers and an enrollment of 22,000 students. Today, some of 
LACC's programs and developments include the addition of a STEM 
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Academy, a Guardian 
Scholars Program (GSP) for current and former foster youth, and the 
LACC Alumni Association Foundation which includes a database of over 
500,000 alumni. Famous LACC alumni include composer John Williams, 
musicians Leonard Slatkin, Les McCann, and Odetta, actors Donna Reed, 
Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Esther Williams and Robert Vaughn, and 
producer Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. The college is 
currently thriving under the guidance of President Renee D. Martinez.
  I ask all Members to join with me in commending Los Angeles City 
College for eighty-five years of educating the greater Los Angeles 
community.

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