Take a walk through Tiger history with this self-guided photo tour of campus. Get a glimpse into Oxy's past, present and future and learn about the history of one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.
This self-guided walking tour is provided by the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, with gracious support from Oxy Special Collections & College Archives and the Office of Donor Relations.
Campus entrance with Orr Gates
Through the eucalyptus trees that originally lined Alumni Avenue, one can see up to the Quadrangle and the hills beyond. Designed by Myron Hunt and built in 1923 with funds from trustee William Meade Orr, the bronze Orr Gates marked the main entrance to Occidental until the 1960s. In 2014, in honor of the Eagle Rock campus’ centennial and through the generosity and vision of Merle and Peter Mullin, the campus entry was redesigned and now features restored gateposts and sustainable landscaping, including drought-resistant landscaping and a bioswale to capture runoff during the rainy season and percolate it back into the ground.
Taylor Pool, De Mandel Aquatic Center, Townsend Crosthwaite Pool, McKinnon Family Tennis Center and Robinson Terrace
Taylor Pool, designed by Myron Hunt and built in 1930, was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hartley Taylor and their daughter, Mary Barbara Taylor ’29. For decades, it has served as an iconic space for Oxy aquatics programs, as well as a gathering spot for Oxy students to enjoy our enviable California climate. Recognizing the need for a larger aquatics and tennis complex for both competition and recreation, the new Center is now under construction. This new campus hub is made possible by funding from Rainer De Mandel ’25, Jennifer Townsend Crosthwaite ’84 and Barry Crosthwaite ’80, Sonnet and Ian McKinnon ’89 and Steven Robinson ’77, among others.
Looking down Alumni Avenue towards Campus Road
In this 1915 photo, standing in what is now the Quad, the campus is so new that you can see the house of College land donor Ralph Rogers at the corner of Alumni Avenue and Campus Road. In 1924, Rogers sold the house to the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity. In 2014, thanks to the leadership and vision of Sally (Reid) Samuelson ’48 H’97 P’72 P’77 and Jack Samuelson ’46 H’97 P’72 P’77, among others, the Fiji House was replaced by the Samuelson Alumni Center. Also pictured is Oxy’s iconic fountain, Water Forms II, a kinetic fountain created in 1979 by the late George P. Baker ’58, renowned sculptor and longtime professor of art (1964-1997). The Gilman Fountain was named in memory of Lucille Young Gilman, first wife of Richard Gilman, Occidental’s 10th president (1965-1988).
Aerial view of campus
In the early 1920s, the Myron Hunt-designed Oxy campus consisted of Johnson, Fowler and Swan halls (all built in 1914), Patterson Field (built in 1917) and the Women’s Gym (erected in 1920), adjacent to Johnson Hall. The house that sits alone on the north side of campus is the home newly built for Occidental’s eighth president, Remsen Bird (1921-1946). President Bird’s house, which currently houses the Office of Admission, is now known as Collins House, named by the James Irvine Foundation in honor of trustee Dennis Collins P’94 and his wife Mollie in 2002. Behind Fowler and Johnson is a grove of trees funded by contributions from alumni, local Presbyterian churches and friends of the College.
Swan Hall and road to Patterson Field
Campus walkways and roads were unpaved in 1920. Beyond Swan Hall (shown) are the steps to 3-year-old Patterson Field, the only other facility on campus at the time besides Johnson Hall (named for Orson Thomas and Anna Johnson), Fowler Hall (named in memory of Eldridge M. Fowler by his daughter and granddaughter) and Swan Hall. Swan Hall was the first residence hall on campus (the men’s dormitory), funded in 1914 by Mrs. Frances B. Swan as a tribute to her husband James Swan. Converted to faculty offices in 1961-62, Swan underwent a complete renovation in 2012, at which time a new wing, named Hinchliffe Hall after Steven Hinchliffe, Jr. ’55 H’16 P’88 GP’18 and his wife Ann Hinchliffe ’57 P’88 GP’18, was added. The space now houses the Cushman Board Room (named for Ginny (Goss) Cushman ‘55 and John Cushman ‘55), faculty offices, the psychology laboratories and seminar rooms. Patterson Field, named for trustee W.C. Patterson, is now part of Kemp Stadium, which was named in honor of Congressman Jack Kemp ’57 H’90 in 2011.
View of the Quad with Fowler and Johnson Halls beyond
Standing close to the foot of the stairs of the then-Freeman College Union, one sees the renewed Quad of the 1960s. Many of the oak trees planted in 1937 under the supervision of landscape architect Beatrix Farrand did not fare well. New oak trees were planted in the 1960s and survive to this day. This center of campus life is now known as the Johnson Student Center (JSC), renamed in 1997 for J. Stanley Johnson and Mary Wig Johnson, longtime friends and supporters of the College. In addition, support from the Rose Hills Foundation funded the creation of the Student Activities Center Plaza in front of today’s bookstore. Johnson Hall, seen in the distance, was erected in 1914 and was named for O.T. and Anna Johnson. With an interior reimagined by architect Hagy Belzberg, it now houses the McKinnon Center for Global A airs, John Parke Young Initiative on the Global Economy, William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program and the Totton J. & Frances Moore Anderson Center for the Study of Public Policy. Alumni Hall, Oxy’s original auditorium and chapel, was redesigned and named in honor of the Choi family.
Looking north to the future site of Thorne Hall
Trees lined Armadale Avenue as it wound its way through campus from south to north in a park-like setting. The steps to Johnson Hall can barely be seen through the foliage on the right of the photo. In 1938, Armadale Avenue would be closed and the campus reoriented with new landscaping and terracing by famed landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. This was completed for the opening of Oxy’s iconic Thorne Hall, named by trustee Charles Thorne in honor of his wife Belle Wilber Thorne.
The Women’s Gym, the Art Barn and the Samuelson Pavilion (Tiger Cooler)
Designed by Myron Hunt, the Women’s Gym was the fourth building erected on campus, built on the foundations of WWI-era barracks and armory.It served as a women’s athletic facility until 1965, when the building was remodeled as the student Art Barn — the place for students to gather, inside and out, for studio work and performances, as well as for student activism and “Quad sitting.” Renowned sculptor and professor George P. Baker ’58 often held classes on the lawn in front of the Art Barn during his 33-year tenure (1964-1997), and his Arc Form Three Axis remains there to this day. In 1994, the building was remodeled for the third time as a student space and casual dining facility, and was renamed Samuelson Pavilion & Tiger Cooler, with support and funding from Sally (Reid) Samuelson ’48 H’97 P’72 P’77 and Jack Samuelson ’46 H’97 P’72 P’77.
Booth Music and Speech Center
Designed by Myron Hunt, built in 1929 and funded by gifts from alumni and friends, the one-story building housed the Helen and Remsen Bird Music Studio and music practice rooms. In 1960, the structure and facilities were expanded and named the Willis H. Booth Music-Speech Center with support from the Booth Ferris Foundation and 300 other alumni and friends. It was renamed Willis H. Booth Hall in 1989.
Orr Hall women’s dorm (now Weingart Center for the Liberal Arts)
Named for his wife Bertha Harton Orr, trustee William Meade Orr funded this much-needed women’s residence hall in 1925 — the first on campus. Landscaping and a full garden would soon follow. In 1986, after withstanding 60 years of seismic shocks, Orr Hall underwent a major renovation made possible by the Weingart Foundation. The space now houses the hall for the study of fine arts with gallery and studio space, classrooms and faculty offices.
Hameetman Career Center in Arthur G. Coons Administration Building
This aerial view from 1962 shows the area behind Johnson Hall, which was used as a parking lot prior to the construction of the Arthur G. Coons Administration Building. The ground floor now houses the Hameetman Career Center, remodeled and opened in 2016 with funding and support from trustee Fred Hameetman ’61 and his wife, Joyce Hameetman, among others.
Moore Lab/Anderson Center for Environmental Sciences
The Robert T. Moore Laboratory of Zoology was erected in 1951,the gift of Robert T. Moore and Margaret C. Moore, as trustees of the Orcutt and Margaret Trusts, and contains the Robert T. Moore Collection of 70,000 specimens of birds and mammals, together with classroom and research facilities. A 1969 addition provided space for a teaching laboratory, facilities for live birds and a seawater system and aquarium room for marine vertebrate zoology. Thanks to the generous support of Linda and Dave Anderson ’63 and others, the Anderson Center for Environmental Sciences will allow for the enhancement of the facility and addition of a Genomics Laboratory.
View of Clapp Library from Fowler
If you look closely at the Mary Norton Clapp Library as it was in 1924, you’ll see that there are two large windows on each side of the entrance facing the Quad. What you see now are four large windows on each side of the entrance: In 1955, the building was expanded 30 feet in each direction retaining the style, materials and grace of the original. In 2010, the library was renamed the Academic Commons to reflect its central role as a place where teaching, scholarship and collaboration take place in a digital age.
The Art Building, 1499 Weller Road, and Hameetman Science Center
The Art Building, built south of the library in 1955, made available three studios, one classroom, a work room and office space for the art department. In 1989, the department of religious studies relocated to “Weller,” with one of the most memorable features being the brightly colored metal totem poles near the entrance. Maps of 1991 and beyond identify it as 1499 Weller Road, not Weller Hall. In 1997, the telecommunications office joined religious studies, a pairing that lasted until 2004 when Hameetman Science Center was erected through the generous support of Fred Hameetman ’61 and his wife Joyce Hameetman, and others.
Tennis Courts and Berkus Hall
Faced with an influx of married veterans and their families after the end of World War II, Oxy erected Navy surplus buildings on Rangeview Avenue to house them. Those building eventually gave way to tennis courts, which in turn were demolished to make way for a much-needed 274-bed residence hall in 2008—Oxy’s newest and largest. In 2013 it was dedicated in honor of trustee David W. Berkus ’62, his wife Kathleen and their family, in recognition of their generous support and leadership.
Keck Theater
Keck Theater, erected in 1987 as part of the continuing development of upper campus, is named for the late William M. Keck. It provides the College with a state-of-the-art, professional quality stage and theatrical space. Used for both theater department classes and productions and cultural studies classes, the building is renowned for being the first venue in the United States to feature adjustable “Lambda” platforms, allowing various stage setup configurations with the movement of a hydraulic flooring system.