CSUN in the World

PROFESSOR BESS LOMAX HAWES, SFVSC ANTHROPOLOGY AND MARGARET MEAD AT CONFERENCE, 1957

CSUN began fostering relations with institutions on the international stage in the late 1970s. The China Institute was first organized in 1982 by a geography professor, bringing Chinese film and music to the campus. Since then, CSUN has developed educational exchanges with many other foreign institutions.

CSUN boasts a succession of graduates who have distinguished themselves through their contributions in scientific fields, the arts, business, journalism, and other areas. In addition, the campus has historically been an important convocation point for cultural icons and political figures.

"In October 1978, a delegation of ten Chinese geographers visited CSUN. In 1979, a second group of Chinese academics arrived. By 1981 several other cultural exchanges had taken place and a seventeen-member delegation signed six educational exchange agreements. When the Peoples Republic of China's first ambassador arrived in the United States, the first place he visited was the Northridge campus." (--Suddenly A Giant: A History of California State University by John Broesamle)

PRESIDENT CLEARY & CHINESE DELEGATION SIGN EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE AGREEMENT, 1982

Commemorative Medallion on Stand. Nanjing University of Science and Technology, 1953 (Chinese) [Donated to the University Archives by the Office of the President, CSUN]

Black Lacquer Plate with Stand. Ministry of Water Resources, People's Republic of China, undated [Donated to the University Archives by the Office of the President, CSUN]

Porcelain figures depicting the fifty-six officially recognized ethnicities of China were presented to Library Dean Susan Curzon when librarians from the Nanjing Normal University visited the Oviatt Library in January 2002. [Donated to the University Archives by Library Dean Susan Curzon]

"As an outgrowth of the increasing interest and new affiliations in China, the China Institute was established at CSUN in 1982, under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Its membership numbers nearly two hundred faculty, staff and members of the community who are committed to enhancing US-China relations. Since its inception, the China Institute has played a major role in making the CSUN exchange programs with China among the best in the nation." [from China Institute web site]

More on Cross-Cultural Studies at CSUN

THE CHINA INSTITUTE'S FIRST NEWSLETTER, CSUN, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, MARCH 1, 2006.

@CSUN, OCTOBER 10, 2005: "ALUMN SCOTT HOROWITZ TO LEAD NASA SPACE EXPLORATION EFFORT"

CSUN alumnus Dr. Scott J. Horowitz (B.S. Engineering, 1978) piloted the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery Flight Sts-82 (February 1997) and Atlantis Flight Sts-101 (May 2000).

The CSUN sweatshirt and U.S. Flag flown aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, February 11-21, 1997 were presented to the College of Engineering and Computer Science by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The CSUN banner (not shown) was "flown for the Students and Faculty" at CSUN aboard the Atlantis, May 19-29, 2000. In the photo of the flight crew CSUN alumnus Scott Horowitz, who piloted the flight, is pictured, lower left. [Courtesy of the College of Engineering and Computer Science]

FRAMED MONTAGE WITH FLAG, PATCH AND PHOTOS

The west coast premiere of Samuel Barber's opera Anthony and Cleopatra featured CSUN students Michael McClish and Carol Vaness. The production, sponsored by the CSUN Departments of Music and Theatre, was directed by Dr. David Scott. In this photograph, Scott and Vaness review an opera score together in rehearsal.

FRANK DEL OLMO - JOURNALISM & CHICANO STUDIES MAJOR, 1970

Frank Del Olmo, a graduate of CSUN’s Journalism and Chicano Studies departments, was reporter for both The Daily Sundial and El Popo. After graduating from CSUN, del Olmo became a reporter, columnist, and then editor for the Los Angeles Times. In 1995, he donated his papers to the University. "Frank del Olmo: Commentaries on His Times" edited by Frank Sotomayor and Magdalena Beltrán-del Olmo, was published posthumously in 2004." [Courtesy of the Frank del Olmo Collection, Urban Archives Center]

More about SFVSC and CSUN Alumni and Alumnae

Dr. Margaret Mead was the first guest speaker to visit the SFV campus of Los Angeles City College. At the time, students and members of the community heard her lecture on "Changing Ideas of Discipline" at Reseda High School Auditorium and in Temporary Classroom L-5 on March 28, 1957.

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks recited her poetry during a reading held in the Speech-Drama 100 course, April 11, 1972.

World-renowned composer/conductor Aaron Copland was a guest conductor in Professor David Whitwell's music class. Copland is known for 20th century classical-style compositions, but is perhaps most widely known for his work in the motion picture industry, such as his Academy Award-nominated score for the 1940 film, Our Town. Dr. Whitwell is remembered at CSUN for his guiding hand in forging the Wind Ensemble into an ensemble of international reputation.

AARON COPLAND, MAY 5, 1975

Famed guitarist Andres Segovia was presented with an honorary degree by Ron Purcell, Music Department, CSUN on February 18, 1983. [Courtesy of the International Guitar Research Archives, CSUN]

LOMAX - BUCKLEY DEBATE, 1965

The role of the federal government in the Civil Rights Movement was at the center of the Buckley-Lomax debate held in the gymnasium at Valley State, which drew the largest attendance (4,100) to an event on the campus. Buckley was a leading voice for the conservative movement, while Lomax worked as a newspaper reporter for Baltimore Afro-American and Chicago American.

"The highlight of the school's 20th anniversary celebration Saturday was a visit by science fiction author and poet Ray Bradbury. [Local author] Bradbury, who will give a free reading at 8 PM today in the USU Northridge Center, met the public in the Oviatt Library where an exhibit of first edition copies of several of his works are now on display." (The Daily Sundial, October 24, 1978)

RAY BRADBURY ON CAMPUS FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY, 1978

The God in Science Fiction was published by the Santa Susana Press, CSUN Libraries as part of the Ray Bradbury Celebration held in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of the campus October 21-31, 1978. [Courtesy of Special Collections, Oviatt Library, CSUN]

United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO Co-Founder and Secretary-Treasurer Dolores Huerta was the keynote speaker at the College of Humanities graduation ceremony in 2002. At the commencement exercises, Huerta also received an honorary doctorate degree, awarded by President Koester and Dean Jorge Garcia. [Courtesy of the College of Humanities, CSUN]

DOLORES HUERTA, JUNE 2002

DAILY SUNDIAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1968: "KENNEDY ATTRACTS 10,000, APPLAUDS 'SPIRIT OF YOUTH'"

The Students for Kennedy had a day to remember when Robert F. Kennedy became the first in a series of national political figures to be invited to speak at San Fernando Valley State College in the Spring of 1968.

Robert "Bobby" Kennedy information booth manned by student members of the "Young Citizens for Kennedy" (pictured extreme right is SFVSC student Vicki M. Semones). In 1968, Robert Kennedy's presidential bid energized a politically active American youth, and on March 25 "Bobby" Kennedy spoke at SFVSC. The week of May 5-11, 1968 was the California Political Forum at SFVSC, during which a number of national, state, and local politicians made the campus a campaign stop.

YOUNG CITIZENS FOR KENNEDY INFORMATION BOOTH, MAY 1968.

KENNEDY ACTION CORPS PIN

JFK MEMORIAL BOOKLET

After RFK's assassination, the Students for Kennedy became the Kennedy Action Corps on June 8, 1968 to promote the ideals and social change associated with the Senator's campaign. RFK's study - Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis - was published posthumously in 1969. The Memorial Mass for RFK was published in booklet form by the Kennedy Action Corps in 1971. [Papers of the SFVSC Students for Kennedy and the Kennedy Action Corps were donated to the University Archives by alumni Vicki M. and JoAnn Semones]

More Distinguished Visitors to Campus