Didn’t you know that the University Park East Side Campus is located in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles? It sits about two miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. The University Park East Side Campus is a vibrant hub of learning and culture.
The University Park East Side Campus spans 226 acres. It houses most of the University of Southern California’s academic and residential facilities. Its boundaries are Jefferson Boulevard to the north and northeast. Figueroa Street lies to the southeast. Exposition Boulevard is on the south and Vermont Avenue to the west.
Since the 1960s vehicle traffic has been restricted on some of the roads of the University Park East Side Campus. The University Park East Side Campus is within walking distance of the Shrine Auditorium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Most buildings follow the Romanesque Revival style. Some dormitories and engineering buildings feature Modernist styles. These buildings sharply contrast with the red-brick aesthetic. Widney Alumni House is the oldest university building in Southern California. It was built in 1880. In 2015 the historic portion of the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The University of Southern California was originally situated at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street. Its original campus was founded on 308 lots of land donated by Ozro Childs John Gately Downey and Isaias W. Hellman. Its first building, the Widney Alumni House, still stands. It is registered as a California Historical Landmark. Originally this building contained all university functions including its first library.
In 1884 the College of Liberal Arts building was constructed. It housed the expanding student body and additional academic facilities. Around this time the Los Angeles Electric Railway constructed its University Line. It spurred growth in the region.
In 1919 John Parkinson designed a masterplan for the expansion of the University. Parkinson’s campus was centered around University Avenue now Trousdale Parkway. It heavily employed the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. This style used red brick and cream-colored limestone. In 1919 the Bovard administrative building was completed. In 1925 the building for the Law School was completed. In 1927 the Student Union building was completed alongside Bridge Hall.
In 1929 Mudd Hall was completed as the Seely W. Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy. In 1930 the shrine of Tommy Trojan was unveiled outside of Bovard. In 1932 Doheny Memorial Library was completed. The courtyard created between Doheny and Bovard formed the centerpiece of Parkinson’s campus. It features an expansive park.
A second wave of construction commenced just prior to World War II. Harris Hall of Architecture and Fine Arts and the Fisher Gallery were completed in 1939. The Allan Hancock Foundation building was completed in 1941.
In 1960 President Norman Topping commissioned William L. Pereira to design another masterplan. This plan set out to create housing villages separate academic and non-academic facilities. It established a campus heart and developed architecturally unique quadrangles.
The University Park East Side Campus is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a place where history is made and futures are shaped. As you wander through its grounds you will be walking in the footsteps of generations of scholars innovators and leaders.