Pepperdine University

Early years In February 1937, against the backdrop of the Great Depression , George Pepperdine founded a liberal arts college in the city of Los Angeles to be affiliated with the Churches of Christ . [ 7 ] Pepperdine had built his fortune largely through the Western Auto Supply Company , which he founded in 1909 with a $5 investment. [ 8 ] Pepperdine had a twofold objective for the college: "First, we want to provide first-class, fully accredited academic training in the liberal arts ... Secondly, we are especially dedicated to a greater goal—that of building in the student a Christ-like life, a love for the church, and a passion for the souls of mankind." [ 9 ] On September 21, 1937, 167 new students from 22 different states and two other countries entered classes on a newly built campus on 34 acres (14 ha) at West 79th Street and South Vermont Avenue in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles , [ 10 ] later referred to as the Vermont Avenue campus. [ 11 ] [ 12 ] The campus was designed in the Streamline Moderne style by John M. Cooper, an art deco architect. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] By April 5, 1938, George Pepperdine College was fully accredited by the Northwest Association in large part due to the leadership of president Batsell Baxter and dean Hugh M. Tiner . [ 15 ] The student newspaper, the Graphic, published its first issue in October 1937. [ 16 ] The college expanded significantly in the years following its founding, reaching an enrollment of 1,839 for the 1948–1949 year. [ 17 ] The college's first graduate program, a master of arts in religion, admitted its first students in 1944, [ 18 ] and the school's first international program, a year-long program in Heidelberg, Germany , was launched in 1963. [ 19 ]

More information Presidents of Pepperdine ... Presidents of Pepperdine President Years served Batsell Baxter 1937–1939 Hugh M. Tiner 1939–1957 M. Norvel Young 1957–1971 William S. Banowsky 1971–1978 Howard A. White 1978–1985 David Davenport 1985–2000 Andrew K. Benton 2000–2019 James A. Gash 2019–present Close In 1969, Pepperdine bought the Orange University College of Law in Santa Ana, California , which became the School of Law and moved to the Malibu campus in 1978. [ 34 ] What had been a business division offering graduate and undergraduate degrees became a graduate business school in 1968, which in 1971 was named the School of Business and Management. [ 35 ] Also in 1971, the School of Education was formed, which in 1981 became the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. [ 36 ] Pepperdine administrators used these expansions as justification to change the institution's name to Pepperdine University in 1971. [ 37 ] Pepperdine continued to expand, adding permanent international programs in London [ 38 ] and in Florence [ 39 ] beginning in 1984 and 1985, respectively. These were followed by similar programs in Buenos Aires , Lausanne , and Shanghai . The School of Business and Management was renamed the Graziadio Business School to honor a gift of $15 million from real estate developer George L. Graziadio Jr. , and in 2019 the School of Law was renamed the Caruso School of Law after a gift of $50 million from alumnus Rick J. Caruso . [ 40 ] The Malibu campus itself was expanded by the construction of the 50.4 acres (20.4 ha) Drescher Graduate Campus, which was completed in 2003 under the supervision of president Andrew K. Benton . Brushfires Smoke billows on a hill near the Phillips Theme Tower Pepperdine's Malibu Campus has often been threatened by brushfires, including in 1985, 1993, 1996, 2007 , 2007 , 2018 , and 2024 .

The university prepares for the fires by clearing brush 200 feet from all buildings and has developed plans with Los Angeles County Fire Department to shelter faculty, staff, and students in place. [ 41 ] [ 42 ]

Pepperdine University aerial view in July 2021 The Phillips Theme Tower with the Santa Monica Mountains in the background (2008) A view of Alumni Park and the Santa Monica Bay beyond (2011) Malibu campus Pepperdine's Malibu campus is situated on 830 acres (340 ha) of the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway . [ 43 ] It is its own census-designated place , located in an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County . [ 44 ] It is widely considered one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world in terms of scenery and architecture, and has been described as "a place that looks more like a beach resort than a private university." [ 45 ] The campus offers views of the Santa Monica Bay , Catalina Island , the Palos Verdes Peninsula , and much of the westside of Los Angeles . Most buildings are designed in the Mediterranean Revival Style with white stucco walls, red tile roofs, and large tinted windows. The first round of construction on the site was completed in 1973. The most distinctive feature of the Malibu campus, apart from its location, is the Phillips Theme Tower, a 125-foot obelisk with an embedded cross that stands on the front lawn. The tower was designed by William Pereira in 1972, and construction was completed in 1973. [ 46 ] The tower was dedicated in 1974 as a symbol of Pepperdine's dedication to its Christian mission. Following disputes with Malibu residents over the lighting of the cross, the tower has not been illuminated since 1980. [ 47 ] Alumni Park is located on the lowest part of the Malibu campus, adjacent to the Pacific Coast Highway. It is a 30-acre expanse of lawns, trails, hills, ponds and coral trees overlooking the Pacific Ocean. [ 48 ] Landscape architects Eric Armstrong and S. Lee Scharfman were responsible for the campus green space planning and design.