2008 saw CSUN celebrates its 50th anniversary and so it is quite fitting to look back on those first 50 years in the history of CSUN. The California state authorities took some persuading in the early 1950s that the San Fernando Valley was the best place to site the latest addition to the California State Universities and, in 1952, it looked as if the new college would be built in Baldwin Hills to the  south and west of San Fernando. However, the state authorities hadn’t reckoned with the collective might of the ‘Valley’ residents, who successfully petitioned for the college to be built in their area. By 1955 legislation had been passed to purchase the land at Northridge for a satellite campus to the Los Angeles State College and the history of CSUN had begun.

The first 25 years at CSUN

By July 1958, with building work still in progress, what had started being built as a satellite campus for LA State College became the San Fernando Valley State College. In September of that year, with just 2525 full-time students, the San Fernando Valley State College started its teaching programs - with student fees being just $29 per semester. A few months later in 1959 the first permanent building on the CSUN campus was finished and opened, this was the South Library. Befitting a new university, in 1959 CSUN was the first of the state universities to have a ‘computer’ installed on-campus; it had a 4k of RAM - much less than will be in even a digital watch these days!  In the next five years the key buildings of the campus were all completed and dedicated including those for: Speech and Drama, Sierra Hall and the iconic Fine Arts building, designed by the architect Richard Neutra. The increased capacity allowed student numbers to rise and by 1964 the campus had over 12,000 full-time students. In keeping with many university and college campuses across the USA, the mid to late 60s saw many political demonstrations on the campus; one positive outcome of these was a determined effort by the university authorities to increase minority student numbers and representation. On the sports field CSUN had arguably its best year in 1967 when The Matadors football team played in the Junior Rose Bowl. At the end of the 1960s, in 1969, the original College President - Ralph Prator, retired and was replaced by James Cleary. As a portent of things to come the CSUN campus was badly damaged by the 1971 San Fernando Valley earthquake. However, two more uplifting events in the 1970s also occurred. First, in 1972 when the college was renamed the California State University Northridge and then in 1973 a new library building, the Oviatt Library, was opened. By 1977 student numbers had risen to over 28,000, with a semesters fees still being below $100. The 1980s were quite a quiet period in the history of CSUN, with it’s 25th anniversary being noted only for the opening of an Art and Design Center in 1983. Before that, in 1981, CSUN began its first foreign student exchanges with, amongst other countries, China.

The next 25 years at CSUN

In 1986 CSUN established its first endowed chair - the W.P.Whitsett Endowed Chair in California History. Then in 1990 it opened its’ Planetarium, making CSUN the campus in the CSU system with the best and most complete astronomy facilities. The third university President, Blenda L Wilson, was appointed in 1992. 1994 will forever be etched into the memories of the CSUN community. January 17th at 04:31 the Northridge earthquake struck, causing $400 million worth of damage - but miraculously no fatalities or serious injuries. The government made public funds available to help with the re-building program and President Bill Clinton visited and spoke to the university on the first anniversary of the earthquake. Another speaker at CSUN in the 1990s was not as well received as the President had been. In 1996 over 1000 demonstrators voiced their disapproval at the head of the Ku Klux Klan being invited to speak in a debate on civil rights. The fourth university President - Jolene Koester - took up her post in 2001, having previously been vice-president at CSUN for student affairs. Also in 2001 the university attains its first major sporting win when The Matador men’s basketball team wins the Big Sky Conference. Major donations see the College of Education renamed the Michael D Eisner College of Education in 2003 and in 2006 the College of Arts, Media and Communication becomes the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication. As CSUN approached its 50th anniversary it installed a one megawatt fuel cell in 2007, setting itself out as one of the ‘greenest’ universities in the world with a new clean energy policy. By 2008 student were exceeding 35,000 and a semester fees had risen to over $1200, with a parking permit now costing $126!