The Early Years
Los Angeles-Orange County State College, as Cal State Long Beach was initially named, welcomed its inaugural cohort of 169 students and 13 full-time faculty on September 28, 1949. A converted apartment building at 5401 E. Anaheim Street served as the setting for early academic pursuits.
A selection committee was tasked with finding an ideal location for the new institution. Unanimously, their sights were set on a 322-acre expanse on the outskirts of Long Beach, an area known to many as Puvungna — the sacred site of the Gabrielino / Tongva / Kizh and Acjachemen / Juaneño people.
Guiding the institution in its formative years was President Victor Peterson, who steered the college through its emergent phase of growth and development.
In June 1950, the City of Long Beach authorized the purchase of this tract of land using $1 million in oil funds, securing the college's future home.
Dean Bryant addresses the first student assembly of 169 strong.
Permanent Campus
Summer of 1951 heralded the start of construction on the permanent campus; by 1958, the first dormitories were completed, transforming the institution from a commuter campus to a residential college.
