Guide to the Palos Verdes College Collection 006
Monique Sugimoto
Marjeanne Blinn, Stella Castillo
Palos Verdes Library District, Peninsula Center Library. Local History Center.
2016-11-01
701 Silver Spur Road
Rolling Hills Estates, California 90274
localhistory@pvld.org
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Palos Verdes Library District, Peninsula Center Library. Local History Center.
Title: Palos Verdes College Collection
Identifier/Call Number: 006
Physical Description:
3.3 Cubic Feet
3 letter document boxes, 3 oversize flat storage boxes, 1 oversize folder.
Date (inclusive): 1947-1955
Physical Location: Local History Center
Abstract: Collection of scrapbooks, photographs and administrative records of the Palos Verdes College.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the Local History Center for access information.
Conditions Governing Use
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation
[Name of item], Palos Verdes College Collection (Collection 006). Local History Center, Peninsula Center Library, Palos Verdes
Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA.
Biographical / Historical
Palos Verdes College was a private, two-year, co-ed, liberal arts college, located off of Crest Road in the Rolling Hills
area of Rancho Palos Verdes. It opened in September 1947 under the direction of founding president, Dr. Richard P. Saunders,
who came to Palos Verdes from New York University. The site of the school was a former Army Air Force base, composed of barrack-like
buildings. The site was temporary pending the construction of a large permanent campus on a nearby parcel of land.
The campus consisted of two women’s dormitories, a men’s dormitory, a classroom and recreation building, a kitchen and dining
room building, a library, an office building, and cottages for the president and a faculty family. The buildings were grouped,
moved, and altered under the supervision of Los Angeles architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. Landscaping was planned by Hammond
Sadler, noted landscape designer and member of the Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects firm, which was part of the original
Palos Verdes Project team.
The Korean War (1950-1953) had a major effect on the College. Enrollment dropped from 111 to 55. Both staff and students
were called to serve, causing a major financial drain on usable funds.
Faced with the possibility of closure in June 1951, administration and trustees developed measures to reduce expenses and
keep the College relevant and sound. The measures included limiting enrollment and revamping the curriculum to provide a
single 2-year liberal arts program which all students would take, as well as a travel-study program for the whole student
body each semester using leaders of government, industry and cultural institutions from sites visited as adjunct faculty.
President John Howard agreed to work for a salary of $1.00 a year and some teachers volunteered to work without pay until
the College regained solvency.
In October 1953, Frank Vanderlip, Jr. deeded fifty-five acres of land, a gift from the Palos Verdes Corporation, to be developed
as the College’s permanent home. Welton Beckett and Associates were commissioned to proceed with architectural drawings for
a campus to serve an enrollment of 400 students.
In the spring of 1954, an announcement was made that a full 4-year program would begin in the fall, and seven new instructors
were hired. The College was becoming a community center for the Peninsula as well, hosting a cooperative nursery school,
a Cub Scout troop, and the Rolling Hills Community Chest.
However, by the summer of 1955, all fund raising efforts to raise the $150,000 needed to pay debts and finance another school
year had failed. On August 15, President John Howard announced the closing of the College.
In September 1955, the site was leased by the school district. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District eventually
purchased the property for one of its school sites.
Arrangement
Arranged into three series: 1. Photographs, 1945-1955, arranged by topic thereunder numerically; 2. Scrapbooks, 1946-1955,
arranged chronologically; and 3. Administrative Records, 1947-1955, arranged alphabetically by topic.
Scope and Contents
Includes photographs, scrapbooks, student handbooks and yearbooks, college bulletins, announcements and promotional material,
programming files, correspondence and meeting notes. Two drawings by Gene Shrewsbury for Welton Beckett and Associates for
the proposed permanent campus are also included.
Processing Information
Initial rehousing of materials by Local History Center volunteers Jeremy Berry-Cahn and Donna Chian. Historical research
by volunteer Marjeanne Blinn. Final arrangement and description by Monique Sugimoto, November 2016.
Related Materials
Local History Center Subject and Biographical File collection (Folder Palos Verdes College).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Saunders, Richard P. (1901-1990)
Education, Humanistic
Rolling Hills (Calif.)
Welton Becket Associates
Harris, Harwell Hamilton, 1903-1990
Sadler, Hammond
Palos Verdes College
Palos Verdes Peninsula (Calif.)
Universities and colleges
Photographs
1945-1955
Physical Description: 224 Photographic Prints
Scope and Contents
Photographs include snapshots and publicity shots. Many photographs taken by photographer Peter Gowland and architect Harwell
Harris. The subjects in the images include buildings, campus scenes, student activities, dormitories and sports.
Box 2
Library & Study (16.42-16.48)
Box 2
Campus Life (16.68-16.116)
Box 3
Labs, Classes and Arts (17.140-17.173)
Box 3
Athletics (18.174-18.188)
Box 3
Snow Day (18.199-18.201))
1949-01-12
Box 3
AAJC Convention (18.202-18.210)
Box 3
Founders Day (18.208-18.210)
Box 3
First Conferment (18.211-18.222)
Box 3
Advisory Council (18.223-18.224)
Scrapbooks
1946-1955
Physical Description: 5 Volumes
Scope and Contents
Scrapbooks include mostly clippings from local newspapers, the Palos Verdes Peninsula News and the San Pedro News Pilot.
Administrative records
1947-1955
Scope and Contents
Administrative records include Advisory Council meeting minutes, constitution, bylaws and reports, student handbooks, yearbooks,
programning files and event flyers, news bulletins, correspondence, and promotional material.
Box 1
Christmas Charity Ball flyers
1948
Box 1
College Advisory Council Constitution
1948-1954
Box 1
The Corral - Roundup of College News
May 21, 1948
Physical Description: .5 Cubic Feet
General
Includes a single issue of the bi-weekly student run newspaper.
Box 1
Correspondence
Jan 1947-June 1949
Box 1
Course Programming
ca Feb 1948
Box 1
Driftwood yearbook
1948; 1950; 1954
Box 1
Enrichment of Courses
1948-1949
Box 1
Faculty Pre-opening meeting schedule
1949
Box 1
List of equipment needed
nd
Box 1
Maps
General
Includes a Renie Map System atlas key map showing portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties and an unidentified map showing
the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Box 1
News bulletin
July 1947-March 1954
General
Includes monthly reports, initially edited by staff then turned over to the students, to provide updates on campus activities,
campus construction progress, student life, faculty, programs, clubs, financial status, enrollment, clubs, fund-raising, and
course offerings. Of particular interest are efforts to build the library's collection through community donations and the
creation of a Horse Owners Association and other student led clubs.
Box 1
PV College Advisory Council minutes
March 1947-Oct 1954
Box 1
PV College Board of Trustees
March 1949-Sept 1959
Box 1
PV College Bulletins
1947-1950
Box 2
PV College Bulletins
1950-1956
Physical Description: 2 Folders
Box 2
PV College Clippings
1955
Box 2
PV College commencement programs
1949
Box 2
PV College founders roster
nd
Box 2
PV College music academy
nd
Box 2
PV College Peninsula Homes Tour
1950-1951
Box 2
PV College promotional material
nd
Box 2
PV College proposed campus drawings
Physical Description: 2 Leaves
General
Cross reference folder for items moved to map case.
Box 2
PV College student handbook
1954-1955
Box 2
Student programming flyers
nd
