UCLA Lab School records, 1920-1999

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Summary

Title:
UCLA Lab School records
Dates:
1920-1999
Creators:
UCLA Lab School
Abstract:
Record Series 208 contains the administrative files of the UCLA Lab School and its library, including reports, agendas and minutes, correspondence, and materials documenting the development of the elementary teaching program and credential. Also included are printed lesson plans and course materials, yearbooks, and photographs and scrapbooks documenting the school and its faculty and students.
Extent:
5.4 Linear Feet (5 document boxes, 1 carton, 6 flat boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], UCLA Lab School records (University Archives Record Series 208). UCLA Library Special Collections, University Archives, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Record Series 208 contains the administrative records of the UCLA Lab School and its library, including reports, minutes, and correspondence; publications such as curricula, yearbooks, and bulletins; and photographs and scrapbooks of the school, its classes and students, and various events.

Biographical / historical:

UCLA Lab School was founded in 1882, as the demonstration school of the California State Normal School at Los Angeles. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Normal School prepared teachers for educating the growing city. By 1914, enrollment at the Normal School had far exceeded capacity, and the institution, along with the children's school, moved to a Hollywood ranch off a dirt road that later became Vermont Avenue. In 1919, the regents approved the establishment of the "Southern Branch of the University of California," a two-year college located at the normal school. The two-year college expanded and officially became the University of California, Los Angeles in 1927. Two years later UCLA moved to Westwood and the children's school began leasing property owned by Los Angeles City Schools, on Warner Avenue.

In 1929, the children's school was called University Elementary School (UES) and the principal was Corinne A. Seeds. In 1945, the university lost its lease on the Warner Avenue location and was told to vacate the site by the following year. From September 1946 to June 1947, UES was without a schoolhouse, but some classes continued in private homes. Supporters of Seeds and progressive education successfully lobbied the state legislature to provide funds to relocate the school to the UCLA campus. Wartime restrictions prevented new building, but supporters found unused army barracks and transferred them to the Westwood campus to be used as a temporary school facility.

The first permanent school buildings for the elementary school were completed in 1950. They were designed by architects Robert Alexander and Richard Neutra. The architects worked closely with Seeds and other members of the school community to create a campus that takes advantage of the natural landscape and promotes children's movement and exploration through the integration of indoor and outdoor space and flexible configurations of the learning environment.

In 1982 the school was renamed the Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School. In 2009 the name was again changed to the UCLA Lab School, in order to better convey the school's purpose as a laboratory for research and innovation in education.

Acquisition information:
Transferred from the UCLA Lab School, 1986, 2000, 2002.
Processing information:

Processed by University Archives staff, 1988; reprocessed by Lori Dedeyan, 2019.

Reprocessing included merging the contents of this record series with other records of the UCLA Lab School, formerly contained in Record Series 596 (Administrative Files, processed in 1996), Record Series 702 (Library Administrative Files, processed in 2001), and Record Series 728 (Scrapbooks, processed in 2002). Those record series numbers have now been retired.

Arrangement:

This collection has been arranged in the following series:

  • Series 1. Administrative files
  • Series 2. Publications
  • Series 3. Photographs and scrapbooks

Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by University Archives staff, 1988; revised and prepared for online access by Katharine A. Lawrie, 2013; further revisions by Lori Dedeyan, 2019.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2019-12-06 13:52:32 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Copyright to portions of this collection has been assigned to UCLA Library Special Collections. The library can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. Commercial use may require additional rights that must be determined and obtained by the researcher. All requests for copyright permission to publish must be submitted in writing to Library Special Collections. Credit shall be given as follows: The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the UCLA Library Special Collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], UCLA Lab School records (University Archives Record Series 208). UCLA Library Special Collections, University Archives, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
310-825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website