California State University, Dominguez Hills
Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAL : California State University, Dominguez Hills
"To educate is to give vision to the blind, speech to the voiceless, empowerment to the disenfranchised. For over 40 years, this has been our role at CSU Dominguez Hills. In our quest to be the model urban 'communiversity,' we will continue in that role with even greater vigor into the new millennium." -- Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr., President of the University
The History of the University
The foundation for CSUDH was built in 1960 when then Governor of California Pat Brown provided state funds to begin development on the school. It was to be located in Palos Verdes, California, and known as South Bay State College. In 1962 the tentative name was changed to California State College at Palos Verdes. In 1964 architect A. Quincy Jones designed a master plan for construction. As the college had not yet been constructed, the first classes began to be taught in 1965 at the California Federal Savings Bank in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. The college began with an enrollment of 27 freshmen and 14 juniors.In 1965 the designated location for the campus was moved to an area known as Dominguez Hills, California. The campus sits on the historic Rancho San Pedro, the oldest land grant in the Los Angeles area. The land was in the continuous possession of the Dominguez family through seven generations, from its concession to Juan Jose Dominguez in 1784 to its acquisition by the people of the state of California for the university.
The college was initially established in the wake of the 1965 Watts riots as a response to community outcry over the lack of higher education opportunities in the largely African-American suburbs of Los Angeles. The college was renamed California State College, Dominguez Hills. In 1966 this campus opened its doors.
In 1977 the California Postsecondary Education Commission endorsed the college trustees’ desire to change the name of the school. The name was then changed from California State College, Dominguez Hills to California State University, Dominguez Hills.
The University Today
Today, CSUDH is a major commuter university for the Southern geographical region of Los Angeles County and the north regions of Orange County. Total enrollment typically hovers around 13,000 students. It is among the most racially diverse campuses in the United States. Many of Southern California's entertainment centers and attractions are nearby. The park-like, 346-acre campus is located strategically in the heart of a major technological, industrial, and transportation complex. CSUDH is 17 miles south of Los Angeles, 117 miles north of San Diego, and is 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.CSUDH offers 43 undergraduate majors, 19 master's degrees, and a number of certificate and credential programs. The university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Secondary Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).
Athletics
CSU Dominguez Hills' athletic teams are known as the Toros, and the university's colors are maroon and gold. CSUDH competes against other universities in Division II of the NCAA in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Currently, the Director of Athletics is Patrick Guillen.CSUDH is the home of the state-of-the-art Home Depot Center, a 27,000 seat multiple-sports complex. However, the men's soccer team plays at Toros Stadium (capacity 3,000). Other sports venues for the university are the Torodome (capacity 4200) for basketball and volleyball; Toro Field (capacity 500) for baseball; and Toro Diamond (capacity 250) for softball.
CSUDH fields ten sports for men and women for the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The fall sport for men is soccer. Fall sports for women are cross country,soccer, and volleyball. The winter sport for both men and women is basketball. Spring sports for men are baseball and golf. Spring sports for women are softball and track and field.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
- Mumia Abu-Jamal is a highly controversial author of two best-selling books, and today he sits in the Pennsylvania State Prison after his 1982 murder conviction of a police officer that sparked protests and marches around the nation.
- Alex Bengard is a midfielder for the Los Angeles Galaxy who was on the 2002 Major League Soccer Championship Team.
- Grace-Ann Dinkins is a trauma surgeon at King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She competed in two Olympics for the country of Liberia as a 100m track runner.
- Kate Gale is a member of the Adjunct Faculty in English. She is a poet and novelist and the managing editor of Red Hen Press and The Los Angeles Review and has co-written the Spanish-language libretto Rio de Sangre and is also the curator of the Ruskin Poetry Series.
- Clarence Gilyard is an actor who has appeared in numerous movies and television series, including Walker, Texas Ranger, Matlock, Die Hard, and Top Gun.
- Jerome Horton is a California State Assemblyman for the 51st District.
- John Langley is a pioneer in reality television and the creator/executive producer of the hit television series COPS.
- Lois Lee is a community activist who founded Children of the Night, a tax-exempt, private, non-profit organization that assists children between the ages of 11 and 17.
- Rodney Allen Rippy was a child star of 1970's and 1980's television commercials.
- Lela Rochon is a model, dancer, and actress who has starred with Eddie Murphy in Harlem Nights and Boomerang, and has appeared on The Cosby Show, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Waiting to Exhale, Any Given Sunday, and performed the lead role in Why Do Fools Fall in Love with Halle Berry.
- Scott Shaw is an author, actor, journalist, and filmmaker.
- Louil Silas is a record executive and the founder of Silas Records. He has worked with Bobby Brown, New Edition, Chante Moore, Jesse Powell, and Keke Wyatt.
- Steffan Tubbs is a two-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow award for national reporting and former network correspondent for ABC News and an anchor at New York City's WNYW-TV and currently an on-air personality with Newsradio 850 KOA in Denver.
- Tomas Tamayo is an Assistant Professor in Dance. He is a dancer, choreographer, singer, teacher, and visual artist who has choreographed and performed in concert, dance, film, musical theatre, television, and video.
External links
- http://www.csudh.edu
- http://www.csudh.edu/torosonline/
- http://www.calstate.edu
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