Founders Day

September 28, 2023

Founders Day is dedicated to commemorating CSULB’s illustrious past and promising future. On September 28, 1949, Los Angeles-Orange County State College began its first day of classes. One hundred and sixty-nine students were enrolled for the first semester taught by thirteen full-time faculty. 

Today, CSULB (California State University, Long Beach) is the second largest among the 23 schools in the California State University system (CSU). Encompassing 322 acres, it holds the distinction of being one of the largest universities in California by student enrollment, boasting 38,273 students for the fall semester of 2022 (CSULB – Institutional Research & Analytics). 

On Thursday, September 28th, the university will mark its 5th annual Founders Day celebration. This tradition began in 2019 with the aim of honoring all those who have significantly contributed to the vibrant Beach community. Founders Day serves as a platform to highlight the core values that uphold the institution, the remarkable individuals who have shaped its journey, and its unwavering commitment to offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities. 

Join us in celebrating CSULB's birthday and honor the legacy and future of the university: 

  • At 11 AM, join the 49’er Industry Chat featuring a panel from CSULB’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, moderated by the institute director, Dr. Wade Martin. 
  • Join us for a complimentary, one-hour Estate Planning webinar at 12 PM, featuring attorney and CSULB alumna, Laura Meier, author of THE FAMILY NEST EGG and owner of the Meier Law Firm in Orange County. Please see flyer here for more information. Space is limited, please click here to register and a Zoom link will be emailed to you.
  • From 3-5 PM, tour the Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center.  Explore historical Beach memorabilia while strolling through the heart of our alumni hub, embodying the spirit of Beach Pride!
  • After touring the Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center, finish the day with our women’s volleyball team taking on UC San Diego’s Tritons, 7:00 PM at the Walter Pyramid. Purchase your discounted $5 tickets here.  

Read About CSULB History

Did you know there is a book about The Beach? Take a trip down memory lane with author and CSULB Faculty Barbara Kingsley-Wilson as she discusses her publication, Long Beach State-A Brief History. Moderated by Dr. Lee Brown, Emeriti Professor and Chair of the Department of Journalism.

Purchase your copy of Long Beach State-A Brief History, written by Barbara Kingsley-Wilson online through the CSULB Bookstore. 

Speaker Bios

Barbara Kingsley-Wilson has been a full-time lecturer and adviser for the Daily 49er since 2004.  She has been a journalist for over twenty years, covering courts, crime, education and sports for the Orange County Register, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and the Rochester Times-Union. She also wrote sport pieces for USA Today and worked as an intern with the Associated Press in Tel Aviv, Israel.  She graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and later earned her master’s degree and taught news writing as a fellow in the Kiplinger Mid-Career Reporting Program at Ohio State University.  She taught journalism at USC before coming to CSULB in 2004. She spent one summer in Amman, Jordan, as part of a United States grant to study women and sports.  She has won awards from the Associated Press and the Orange County Press Club and contributed articles to an O. C. Register project that won the Pulitzer Prize. She lives with her family in Long Beach and continues to write for local news sites, including the Long Beach Post and other media.


Dr. Lee Brown is a proud 1960 graduate of Long Beach State and was editor-in-chief of the Forty-Niner from 1959- 1960. He taught in CSULB’s Department of Journalism from 1998-2010, and was chair of the department from 1998 to 2001. Before joining the faculty, Dr. Brown was a reporter and editor for the Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram, San Diego Union, Washington (D.C.) Star, the Orange County Evening News and KXIC-AM, Iowa City, Iowa. He previously taught at San Diego State University, the University of Maryland and the Buffalo State College (SUNY). He is the author of The Reluctant Reformation: On Criticizing the Press in America and received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.